Finance minister Enoch Godongwana on Wednesday appeared before the ANC's integrity commission over allegations of sexual assault.

A Kruger National Park masseuse laid charges with the police against him for allegedly “fondling” her.

The incident is alleged to have taken place last week when Godongwana and his wife Thandiwe were on holiday at the park.

Godongwana told TimesLIVE on Thursday he stood by his innocence during the commission meeting.

“I just made my presentation and they will decide; they are not waiting for me to decide. It’s my submission that, as far as I’m concerned, I think I’m innocent,” he said.

The commission will deliberate and make recommendations to the national executive committee (NEC). If they believe Godongwana has a case to answer, it may recommend that he step aside as a member of the NEC and as finance minister.

The NEC is expected to meet on Tuesday next week to discuss proposed amendments to the party’s constitution before the December elective conference. 

It is expected that a faction of NEC members opposed to Godongwana will raise the matter at the meeting.

Should the commission complete its deliberations by then, the meeting could hear the recommendations.

Integrity commission head George Mashamba told TimesLIVE on Tuesday though the body had not called Godongwana to appear before it, he was expecting the matter to come up at its Wednesday meeting.

“There are always discussions about current developments and issues. Comrades from different parts of the country will tell us what [they are]. I have seen snippets [about the allegations], but beyond that I don't know, but I think it will crop up.”

The ANC has not commented on the allegations against Godongwana, but the women’s league has called for swift action.

ANC Johannesburg regional executive committee member and youth league fundraiser Thuthukile Zuma has called for Godongwana to vacate office.

“We ourselves have leaders who are accused of being perpetrators and we are saying to those leaders, we may love you as our leaders but as soon as you have an accusation of being a perpetrator of gender-based violence you must do the honourable thing, you must step aside,” she said.

“Not the factional step aside of the ANC, but you must step aside because you take the gender struggle seriously. So the likes of Enoch Godongwana must step aside because he must show, as a leader of society and a leader of the ANC, that he takes the gender struggle seriously.”

TimesLIVE