Keep up the graft purge, Ramaphosa

A refreshing aspect of the “New Dawn” era of President Cyril Ramaphosa – and one which should fill us with hope, rather than depression – is that, apparently, the ANC is cleaning house of miscreants within its ranks.

We use the word “apparently” because time will tell whether the latest moves to combat corruption and incompetence are, in reality, more than just a sop to potential voters ahead of next year’s election.

It was unusual to see the ANC acting against its senior office holders who have been accused of wrongdoing, when the organisation’s National Executive Committee asked Brian Hlongwa and Qedani Mahlangu to resign from the Gauteng Provincial Executive Committee (PEC). The two had been retained by the PEC despite serious clouds hanging over their heads.

In the case of Hlongwa, a former health MEC and chief whip of the ANC in Gauteng, it is the still untested allegation that he helped facilitate more than R1.2 billion of corrupt deals. Mahlangu was MEC during the Life Esidimeni outrage, when more than 140 patients died after being arbitrarily moved from the government-funded facilities in which they were being cared for.

Both are deeply embedded in the ANC leadership – past and present – so it was surprising to see action being taken.

The fact that they could be removed from their positions in the PEC raises only more questions: such as why is Bathabile Dlamini – who did so much damage to the social grants system – still a minister? Why is Nomvula Mokonyane, associated with multiple reports of abuses related to water and sanitation during her time as minister, still in Cabinet?

We understand that Ramaphosa has to move carefully to root out the remnants of Jacob Zuma and his clique, as well as other rotten cadres.

But, we urge him to maintain this momentum.

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