Former ANC member and spokesperson for the disbanded Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans’ Association, Carl Niehaus. Picture by: Doctor Ngcobo/African News Agency(ANA)
Johannesburg - The now fired ANC member, and spokesperson for the disbanded Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans’ Association, Carl Niehaus together with some aggrieved ANC staff members plan to criminal charges against ANC office bearers tomorrow.
Niehaus said the complainants would not allow themselves to be silenced because if they don’t go ahead with the criminal case, their integrity would be on the line.
“My actions need to have integrity, I can’t say I will bring charges and then some managers in the ANC decide to come with an illegal dismissal, and then I get intimidated and I decide to run away. I can't do that; it would lack integrity from my side. I was very clear from the beginning that we were going to lay charges, and we were asked by the staff association to wait because they were going to have a meeting with the NOB’s, the meeting never materialised,” said Niehaus.
He said that the meeting was supposed to happen last Thursday but around 4PM it was cancelled.
“From my side I said it (laying charges) was postponed hoping that something could materialise from that meeting. The meeting didn't take place. Evidently nothing more has materialised or any steps taken by the leadership of the ANC to correct what has gone wrong, so for me not to proceed would mean that we lack integrity in our actions, that we cry wolf.
“If there are consequences, it would be unfortunate. I hope that the ANC is not going to continue along the route of illegal dismissals to silence people. It is wrong to try and silence an employee who wants to raise a concern about perceived criminal activity, whistle-blowing should be encouraged, it should not lead to intimidation,” Niehaus.
Niehaus was fired from the ruling party last Thursday after issuing a media statement stating his intention to open a case against the party (for the non-payment of two months salaries and UIF), he later announced that it was postponed, shortly after that he was dismissed.
“The aggrieved ANC employees who were due to formally lay criminal charges last Thursday of theft, fraud, corruption, and various statutory crimes, against the National Office Bearers of the ANC, will now proceed with doing so on Wednesday, 15 September. All media are invited to witness the charges being laid at 11:00 at the Johannesburg Central Police Station,” Niehaus said in a media statement.
He said once the charges have been laid the employees involved will make their complaint statement available to the media, and address the media outside the police station.
On Friday during a radio interview, ANC Treasurer-General Paul Mashatile said he was not sure who Niehaus was representing because he had met with the staff committee and Niehaus was not part of the meeting.
Mashatile said they agreed that the staff would be paid their July salaries this week and the August salary towards the end of September.
Related Topics: