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'Sad' Fransman drops legal action after court victory

Cape Town - ANC Western Cape leader Marius Fransman has said he has dropped legal action against party secretary-general Gwede Mantashe and the Integrity Commission, saying his court action "served its purpose".

Fransman has been the subject of disciplinary proceedings after he was accused of sexually harassing 21-year-old Louisa Wynand while they were travelling to the party's January 8 celebrations in Rustenburg.

He said in a statement on Thursday that he is dropping all legal action following the Western Cape High Court's order on Wednesday that the report into his conduct be released to him.

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"The SG [Mantashe] has demanded that I join the ANC as a respondent. I am a committed member of the ANC and regard it as my duty to enforce proper ANC procedure by the custodian comrades, even by legal action, as I have done, but I will not take the ANC to court.

"I have, together with other affected leadership, received an invitation from certain religious leadership, to submit to mediation. I accepted this initiative because of my deep respect for clergy, and because I wish to strengthen the ANC."

'Sad' to go to court

Fransman also said he was disappointed that he had to go to the High Court in order to obtain permission to access the Integrity Commission report.

"I am saddened that I had to approach the high court to compel the Secretary General, the custodian of the proud ANC constitutional principles, to provide a critically important document ... despite clear earlier written undertakings, and procedural dictate, to provide same.

"The application was brought with great reluctance, and followed deliberated legal advice after all comradely options to protect my rights were exhausted.

"I never wanted to go to court, but I had no choice, and the receipt of the IC report justifies the action. I will now thoroughly study its content."

He also said that his focus will now be on the local elections in the Western Cape.

"The ANC is the organisation that I love. We must now unite and consolidate and make sure that the ANC is enlivened by our actions and enthusiasm in the Western Cape."

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