NATIONAL NEWS - A Western Cape official who was placed on precautionary suspension for her alleged involvement in former Community and Safety liaison MEC Albert Fritz’s sexual misconduct case has broken her silence.
Lazola Ndubela suspended in January amid allegations of sexual impropriety.
Fritz’s spokesperson Wade Seale was also suspended while two others, David Abrahams, and support officer Michael Kwaaiman were dismissed following an internal investigation.
Ndubela said after the internal investigations, the Western Cape Government (WCG) had found no evidence of wrongdoing against her.
“A grave injustice has been perpetrated against me in a politicised matter. My name has been dragged through the mud for no reason.
“At this stage it goes without saying, but I wish to say it anyway and in no uncertain terms: I have never been involved in the facilitation of sexual misconduct by anybody, in any way whatsoever.”
Ndubela says allegations were ‘politicised’
Ndubela said it has always been her intention to cooperate with any and all investigations.
“Unfortunately, the WCG has never posed any questions to me at any point. The WCG has never put allegations to me and asked me to give my version of events.
“To date, I have never been informed of what the allegations against me are. Nor have I been informed of who the allegations were made by.”
Ndubela claims that her suspension was politically motivated.
“One need only recall the way in which pieces of information were being leaked to the media strategically to “keep the story alive” in the first weeks following the breaking of this saga.
“Keeping in mind that to this day the identities of those who made allegations against Fritz have been protected by WCG, the same WCG handled the disciplinary proceedings against the suspended staff and was silent when our names were leaked.”
Ndubela said she is disappointed in some of the people she worked with.
“Despite their high positions, they always struck me as approachable and professional, having no shortage of honesty and integrity. Today I am left wondering if that was all an act given my professional proximity to the former-Minister, whose favour each and every one of them had sought.”
Fritz fired for ‘creating an environment conducive to sexual misconduct’
Western Cape premier Alan Winde fired Fritz from the provincial cabinet in March after receiving the findings of an independent investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct made against him.
Fritz was suspended after allegations of sexual misconduct against young women in his office emerged.
An investigative report found that there was sufficient evidence of Fritz creating an environment that was conducive to sexual harassment, or alternatively, taking advantage of young women sexually.
