ANCWL buddies turn against Tolashe

The ANC Women’s League is expected to remove its president as internal tension rises over the party’s harsh treatment of women compared with how they treat the men

- Lunga Mzangwe & Mandisa Makgakga

Besieged: Frustrations about ANC Women's League president Sis Tolashe's leadership extended beyond the Women's League and had become a broader ANC concern.

(Picture: MyANC)

The ANC Women’s League is set to remove former minister of social development Sisisi Tolashe as its president at its upcoming special national executive committee meeting on Saturday.

Senior insiders say the structure has endorsed the recommendations flowing from the ANC Integrity Commission after it made adverse findings against the beleaguered erstwhile minister.

This leaves only the disciplinary processes that will need to be followed before the Women’s League formalises its position.

A senior ANCWL insider familiar with the discussions inside the structure said Tolashe’s fate had been sealed after the Integrity Commission made the findings.

“We have a meeting [this coming weekend] and that is where her axing will be endorsed at the NEC,” the source said.

“What’s happening now is that once she goes to the disciplinary committee (DC), it will then go to the NEC (national executive committee).”

The commission’s report nullifies Tolashe’s influence in the league, which, early this month, supported her continued reign as leader. In the meeting, only 10% of the members called for her to vacate the position because of the alleged abuse of her family’s hired help.

However, after the commission’s findings, which were presented to the ANC NEC last week, the sand seems to have shifted beneath Tolashe’s feet because her support base has been compelled to vote against her.

The recommendation, the source said, was that once she was removed as minister, she would need to resign from all leadership positions.