Tshwane MMC Abel Tau asks ActionSA to suspend him after charges of sexual assault
He allegedly tried to force himself on the wife of a friend and party colleague
ActionSA Tshwane MMC for human settlements Abel Tau has temporarily stepped down from all party activities pending the outcome of an internal and criminal investigation into charges of sexual assault against him.
The Tshwane City government has already placed Tau on special leave and appointed a committee made up of members of the coalition government to investigate the allegations.
The suspensions follow allegations published at the weekend that Tau had allegedly tried to force himself on the wife of a friend and party colleague.
It is alleged that Tau and the friend spent a night of drinking after which his friend passed out. Tau then called the wife to come and fetch her husband from Tau’s house because he was too drunk to drive himself home.
Upon arrival, Tau allegedly made sexual advances on her, which she rebuffed.
Tau has previously denied the allegations but on Wednesday said he would not be taking further interviews on the matter.
It is understood that the ActionSA senate first heard of the allegation and that a criminal case had been opened sometime in September but had been reluctant to act on them primarily because of Tau’s close relations with party leader Herman Mashaba.
“We are glad that these allegations finally surfaced in the media because they pushed people to do what needed to be done,” said a senior ActionSA insider.
Tau on Tuesday afternoon issued a statement saying he had written to the party’s senate requesting that he be placed on suspension.
“I do this because I believe that as a country we have a serious problem of GBV and therefore it is important that we do not just pay lip service to our fight against this scourge, therefore I cannot be seen to be roaming the streets doing my work both in the party and the city while I am facing these serious allegations.”