Union boss suspended amid probe into fake ID document

Source: Pretoria News, 11/01/2017

Pretoria - Embattled SA Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu)
Gauteng secretary Gift Ndwandwe has been placed on suspension in
connection with information that he fabricated his South African
identity.
The investigation, undertaken by the Department of Home Affairs into
the legality of his citizenship, revealed he faked his South African
nationality and was actually a Zimbabwean national.
The union’s national deputy general secretary Zacharia Mosothoane
confirmed that Ndwandwe was suspended on Monday pending an internal
probe to establish the truth regarding his alleged fraudulent activities.
“It is true that he has been suspended. We have decided that he could
not sign documents of the organisation and have access to funding of
the organisation pending the internal investigation by the union,”
Mosothoane said.
He said the union had requested information from the department, which
would include the admission by Ndwandwe that he was caught in the wrong.
Ndwandwe was arrested on October 4 for being in possession of a South
African ID that was obtained fraudulently.
He was subsequently released on October 6 by the Pretoria Magistrate’s
Court after his lawyers indicated they would lodge an appeal
application against his deportation at the High Court.
Yesterday, department spokesperson Thabo Mokgola declined to shed
light on developments into Ndwandwe’s citizenship row with the
department and the subsequent legal proceedings.
He also refused to comment on why Ndwandwe had not been deported to
his country of origin in the wake of Home Affairs’ findings regarding
his illegal documentation.
“Kindly note the Department of Home Affairs is not in a position to
comment on the matter as it is a subject of a legal process,” Mokgola
said.
Ndwandwe could not be reached for comment yesterday. He had previously
refused to be drawn into the subject, saying: “I don’t have any
comment on that matter.”
The Pretoria News understands that the union acted against Ndwandwe
following a letter from the department, instructing the union’s
payroll officials to terminate his contract with immediate effect.
Ndwandwe was elected as Satawu secretary in 2015 following the
cold-blooded killing of former secretary Chris Nkosi, who was gunned
down in Ekurhuleni.
He rose to the top position amid much displeasure from some members
that he was not capable of grasping union issues.
The controversy surrounding his legality in the country emerged three
months after the national union’s general secretary Zenzo Mahlangu was
deported to Zimbabwe for being in the country without the necessary
permits.
Ndwandwe used to be Mahlangu’s bodyguard and head of union security
before he was elected as its provincial secretary.
Pretoria News
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