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Mantashe: Give Jordan time to deal with his guilt

Johannesburg - ANC stalwart Pallo Jordan has resigned as ANC Member of Parliament and apologised to the ruling party after reports that his qualifications are false, secretary general Gwede Mantashe said on Monday.

The Sunday Times reported last week that no evidence could be found that Jordan, who goes by the title "Dr", has ever had an honorary doctorate bestowed on him. He has no formal tertiary academic qualifications whatsoever, the publication said. 

Mantashe said Jordan had also offered to resign from the ANC and its national executive committee. 

"True to his character, he has apologised to the ANC, its membership and South Africa as a whole," Mantashe said in a statement.

"A man of comrade Pallo Jordan's intellect does not need to perpetuate deceit; he must be given time to deal with his guilt. As the ANC, we have accepted his public apology; to apologise was not an action of the faint-hearted."

Mantashe said the African National Congress received a detailed explanation from Jordan on Monday on claims that his qualifications were false.

The ANC national officials had accepted Jordan's resignation from Parliament, but his resignation from membership of the NEC and the ANC have been referred to the structures of the organisation, he said.

Source of pride

Earlier, the party's Chief Whip in Parliament Stone Sizani said that with or without academic qualifications Jordan remains a source of pride for the party.

"He is one of the movement's greatest products, a public intellectual par excellence and a consummate historian," Sizani said in a statement.

"While academic achievements are important, they can never truly define one's wisdom, intelligence or intellectual depth."

He said reports that Jordan did not have the academic qualifications he has long been associated with, was a "publicity gimmick".

There was no violation of parliamentary ethics code or misrepresentation, Sizani said.


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