Former Cabinet ministers Sisisi Tolashe (pictured) and Bheki Cele have brought the ANC into “disrepute”, the party alleges.

• Former ministers Bheki Cele and Sisisi Tolashe are among five ANC members referred to the party’s national disciplinary committee for allegedly bringing the organisation into disrepute.
• ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said the cases follow findings by the party’s integrity commission and will now be fast-tracked for disciplinary action.
• The others referred to include City of Johannesburg MMC Sithembiso Zungu, Matjhabeng mayor Thanduxolo Khalipha and ANC Sedibeng regional secretary Jason Mkhwane.

Former ministers Bheki Cele and Sisisi Tolashe are among five ANC members referred to the party’s national disciplinary committee for allegedly bringing it into disrepute.

Secretary-general Fikile Mbalula revealed this when he addressed the media at Luthuli House on Tuesday.

“We must charge them very quickly. It means they have been found to have brought the ANC in disrepute, all of them,” Mbalula told News24.

This comes after the integrity commission presented a report to the national executive committee (NEC) over the weekend.

The others who were referred to the committee were City of Johannesburg MMC Sithembiso Zungu, Matjhabeng Local Municipality Mayor Thanduxolo Khalipha, and ANC Sedibeng regional secretary Jason Mkhwane.

READ | Ramaphosa moves at uncharacteristic speed to fire social development minister

 Before being axed from her position as social development minister, Tolashe faced a mountain of misconduct allegations: failing to declare two SUVs donated to the ANC Women’s League (reportedly registered to her children); using a state-paid “food aide” for private household work and channelling part of that salary to her daughter; pushing an irregular five‑year director-general contract against a Cabinet decision and then not cooperating with the probe; plus broader claims of misuse of public resources and misleading Parliament.

Tolashe is also president of the ANC Women’s League.

Mbalula said former police minister and NEC member Bheki Cele voluntarily appeared before the integrity committee for his links to alleged underworld kingpin Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala.

News24 made several revelations concerning Cele and his links to Matlala, which Matlala confirmed at Parliament’s ad hoc committee investigation into corruption in the police force.

READ | 9 LIVES: Bheki Cele stayed at police tender tycoon Matlala’s luxury penthouse

These include Cele sleeping at Matlala’s luxury penthouse in Pretoria, having secret meetings with him, and allegedly receiving money from Matlala.

Mbalula said Mkhwane was accused of using his role as supply chain manager at Emfuleni Local Municipality to “advance corrupt tendencies, and at the same time dispense patronage using that”.

News24 reported several scandals involving Zungu – including an investigation by the Hawks of R186 000 that he allegedly received from a housing contractor in his ward.

“They will go to a DC (disciplinary committee), and the DC will decide on their fate. But over and above that, we are unable to implement the recommendations of the integrity committee while they are still before the DC,” Mbalula told News24.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated with additional information.