ANC to announce names of 31 senior leaders who declined nomination for public office

At least 31 senior ANC leaders will retire from public service said ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu on Friday.

Out with the old in with the new

Bhengu was speaking at a press briefing at the ANC headquarters in the Johannesburg on the candidate list of the ANC for the incoming administration post elections.

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“We are having a new crop coming in and taking the baton because we have a number of senior leaders from the alliance who are now taking retirement and from within the ANC,” Bhengu said.

Bhengu said the ANC will make the names of those who are taking retirement public on Monday at a briefing by the Secretary General Fikile Mbalula.

Bhengu said there were about 2 400 candidates who had been nominated to be on the list but only 284 made it to the final list.

“If you look at the candidate list of the ANC at the province at a national level you should be able to see various strata various classes and various social formations. It must be a microcosm of society. You must see young people which is why, for the first time, I am anticipating some of the youngest ministers,” Bhengu said.

Candidates were tested

According to Bhengu this showed that the ANC had done vigorous checks and balances in ensuring that those chosen for public office are quality candidates.

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“The very candidate process that we are doing today is a step in the direction of renewal where on earth are you seeing the ANC doing things in the manner that we are doing. Going through a thorough process of being interviewed, of vetting your CV of – an independent expert led process?” Bhengu said.

Bhengu said the process of choosing candidates was so stringent that even things like maintenance of children were checked.

“If you are not maintaining your children, it will flag you,” she said.