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Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane
The African National Congress (ANC) in the Eastern Cape has welcomed the decision by the Bisho High Court to stop the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) from investigating the province’s Premier and party Provincial Chairperson, Oscar Mabuyane, regarding his academic qualifications at the University of Fort Hare.
The court declared the investigation unconstitutional and set it aside. The ruling further states that the investigating body should pay the legal costs.
Mabuyane has indicated he will comment on the matter in due course.
The party’s provincial Spokesperson, Yanga Zicina, says the ruling reaffirms their confidence in Mabuyane’s leadership.
“The ruling reinforces that University of Fort Hare must desist from promulgating baseless allegations and that the SIU must refrain from weaponizing its authority for ulterior motives pursued by those that are faceless. The ANC reaffirms its steadfast confidence in the leadership of comrade Mabuyane and it condemns the politically motivated attacks as brazen not only to him but to the party as a whole.”
Mabuyane has also instructed his attorneys to challenge his deregistration from the institution to study towards a Master’s Degree.
“At this stage, it is sufficient to state that the Premier has instructed his legal team to challenge the legality of the process followed by the University of Fort Hare in arriving at the decision to de-register him as a student. The Premier will also be seeking legal relief to set aside both his de-registration and the forensic report that the University of Fort Hare relied upon in making its determination,” says Mabuyane’s Spokesperson, Sonwabo Mbananga.
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