Mokonyane cites family responsibility for turning down parly deployment

Nomvula Mokonyane has asked the ANC to reconsider her deployment as the House chairperson.

The governing party announced on Wednesday that Mokonyane, former minister of environmental affairs, requested that she not take up her position which was announced by secretary-general Ace Magashule on Monday following a special national executive committee.

This means Mokonyane will not be sworn-in by chief justice Mogoeng Mogoeng and the ANC will have to nominate someone else as her replacement.

“Comrade Nomvula has since advised the ANC that due to family responsibilities and her being in mourning currently, she believes she would be unable to diligently and with commitment fulfil her duties at this stage,” read an ANC statement.

Mokonyane's husband Serge Mokonyane died last month. When contacted by SowetanLIVE on Tuesday following rumours of her request, Mokonyane said: “Who told you? I’m not going to legitimise your sources by responding to you. If you are not going to give me [the name of the source] I won’t talk to you. So I must be convenient to legitimise and see the value of your sources? I won’t give you this information then”.

Mokonyane and deputy president David Mabuza – who will also not be sworn-in – as well as Gwede Mantashe, Fikile Mbalula, Zizi Kodwa and Thabang Makwetla were flagged by ANC integrity commission as some of the people who should step aside.