Pule Mabe to return to Luthuli House this week, ANC confirms
18 February 2019
The ANC has confirmed that its spokesperson, Pule Mabe, will return to Luthuli House this week after a panel cleared him of sexual harassment allegations.
A member of staff in Mabe's department made the allegations as well as human resource and management grievances.
"The parties to the grievance reached agreement on all human resource issues and signed a mediation agreement to this effect," acting national spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said in a statement on Monday.
"The parties did not reach agreement on the allegation of sexual harassment and the matter was referred for a formal grievance hearing," Kodwa explained.
The ANC formed a grievance panel, chaired by national executive committee (NEC) member, Sdumo Dlamini, Thoko Didiza and two representatives from Luthuli House, to hear the allegations.
Following the outcomes of the mediation process, which was held on December 12 and 13, a formal grievance hearing looking into the sexual harassment allegations took place on January 15 and 16.
The panel found no evidence of sexual harassment and recommended the following:
The ANC should within three months adopt a sexual harassment policy, and train all its management and staff in offices throughout the country on this policy;
Address the human resource issues raised during the grievance procedure and ensure the complainant's reintegration as an employee of the ANC;
The privacy of staff and manager's bedrooms at meetings be respected, and where meetings are to be held or work to be done, arrangements be made for such to take place in meeting rooms or public spaces.
The political party said both employees had accepted the panel's findings and its recommendations.
The 26-year-old complainant and Mabe are expected to return to Luthuli House this week to report for duty, however the woman will reportedly be moved to another department.
This comes after Mabe's former PA, who cannot be named, handed over a 14-page letter which News24 has seen, detailing alleged sexual harassment and the first assignment she worked on with Mabe.
She claimed Mabe forced himself into her bed on two occasions earlier this year.
After she rejected his advances, it resulted in her being ill-treated by the ANC's national spokesperson as his assistant, News 24 earlier reported.
