Suspended African National Congress (ANC) Western Cape leader Marius Fransman must take responsibility for his actions and not create imaginary scapegoats, the party's provincial leadership said on Tuesday.

ANC acting chairperson Khaya Magaxa told reporters they condemned Fransman’s public utterances against the party and its integrity commission. Fransman had undermined the commission by publicly denouncing it as biased. The party could no longer remain silent about his allegations.

“Attacking organisational mechanisms and tools in public clearly suggest he is no longer respecting the ANC. Let alone playing to a gallery and feeding what seems to be the trend of trying to isolate the secretary general of the ANC, comrade Gwede Mantashe,” Magaxa said.

The ANC announced on November 10 that the committee had suspended Fransman’s ANC membership for five years after finding him guilty on two counts of misconduct. These related to his “abusing his office for the purpose of attempting to obtain a sexual favour from Louisa Wynand, and for making public statements which brought the ANC into disrepute”.

Fransman should use internal avenues to challenge the suspension, Magaxa said. As a senior party member, he should respect the organisation’s decisions.

“It seems now it is becoming a sub-culture among corrupt and reactionary elements that lack organisational discipline and class consciousness to use the ANC secretary general as their punching bag in order to convince factional lords of their loyalty.”

Doing so was extremely reckless, disrespectful, and mischievous, he said.

“Comrade Marius must take responsibility for his actions and not create imaginary scapegoats.”

Fransman had questioned the party's decisions to keep ANC Western Cape secretary Faiez Jacobs in his position, despite the fact that he was facing an assault charge. He condemned the party for the reversal of Boland secretary Jonton Snyman's expulsion. Snyman had a fraud conviction.

Magaxa said due process was followed in both cases.

Jacobs had been suspended while an investigation was conducted. Snyman's expulsion was overturned on a technicality. Both had followed internal processes, Magaxa said.