[imagesource:@sithalekgaogelo]

President Cyril Ramaphosa accepted Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa’s resignation after the latter appeared in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday in connection with allegations that he received R1.6 million in bribes.

Citing the comic ‘step-aside rule’ the ANC uses sporadically, the President “noted and accepted the resignation.”

Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya was asked if Kodwa would be returning as a Cabinet minister in the seventh administration, but Magwenya was cagey, saying “At this stage, no one has any authority to say what will happen or won’t happen in the formulation of the next cabinet until discussions on the formation of the new seventh administration government have been concluded.”

Not so lekker when you don’t have a majority anymore, is it?

Kodwa – who is pictured below looking as prim as my aunt Mildred at a church bazaar – appeared in court alongside businessman and former EOH boss, Jehan Mackay, in connection with allegations that he received R1.6 million in bribes following a probe into contracts worth more than R460 million that the City of Johannesburg awarded to EOH Holdings in 2016.

News24 previously reported that the Zondo Commission found that Kodwa was implicated in questionable transactions between himself and Mackay.

Between February 2014 and April 2015, EOH-related entities and Mackay were said to have made cash payments of around R1.6 million to Kodwa. Along with the cooldrink-money, there were allegedly also other perks such as benefitting from luxury accommodation, loans and ‘gratuities’.

No mention was made of where the minister bought that snazzy coat, but as far as government corruption goes, it is pretty standard stuff and not very creative really.

ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri responded on behalf of the ANC, saying “The step-aside policy of the ANC will kick in, or shall I say, the constitution of the ANC will kick in because we all respect the rule of law, and I suppose there is no question about that.”

Another one bites the dust (almost). Bummer for Zizi, but at least he got to sit in the President’s losie when the Springbokke won the World Cup.

[source:news24]