Controversial corruption-accused former eThekwini mayor, Zandile Gumede, must step aside from the African National Congress (ANC) and state structures, the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal said on Friday. 

The party said its provincial deputy chairperson, Mike Mabuyakhulu – who is also facing charges of corruption – must also step aside. 

The announcement was made by ANC KZN secretary, Mdumiseni Ntuli, at a press briefing on Friday. He was joined by ANC KZN chairperson, Sihle Zikalala, who is also the premier of the province. 

The decision comes as the governing party enters a national executive committee (NEC) meeting that runs until Sunday. That meeting is expected to delve into allegations of corruption within the party, and the family members and connections of high ranking leaders receiving tenders – as an increasingly wary public and electorate hammer the ANC for seemingly allowing its members and leaders to loot with impunity. 

Zikalala said the decision to seek that the two high profile members step aside was aligned to the resolutions taken at the party's Nasrec conference in December 2017. 

He said it was not the party's intention to offer judgment on the individuals or undermine their rights, but that the integrity of the party needed to be considered. 

The implicated "comrades" were to present themselves to the ANC Integrity Committee, state their cases, and the commission's decision would be referred to the ANC provincial executive committee (PEC), where a decision would be taken on their futures.  

The PEC was united on the decision to protect the integrity of the ANC, said Zikalala. 

Gumede is currently out on R50 000 bail, having been charged for her alleged role in tender fraud amounting to over R400-million (the amount has increased since the first appearance of the accused as investigations continued) regarding Durban Solid Waste contracts. She has been accused alongside other councillors, executives and businesses, but continues to deny involvement in any of the charges she faces. 

She was removed from her position as mayor last year, but according to the party, this had nothing to do with the corruption charges - instead, it was because she and her administration ("the collective") did not perform adequately.  

Despite this, Gumede was officially sworn in to the provincial legislature last week, causing outrage amongst the public. She was then placed on the cooperative governance committee within legislature - where she would have a say on the workings of local government. 

Mabuyakhulu has been charged in a matter relating to alleged graft that took place between 2012 and 2013 when he was MEC for economic development and tourism. He and all of his co-accused have been charged with corruption, fraud, theft and money laundering.

According to court records, Mabuyakhulu's then department forked out R28-million for the North Sea Jazz Festival that was supposed to be held in November 2012, although the event was cancelled.

The department’s former HOD, despite knowing the event was cancelled, did not stop payments, which ended up in the bank accounts of several of the accused and or the entities they owned. The state alleged that Mabuyakhulu also fraudulently received payments.