ANC candidates now required to submit financial records

The African National Congress (ANC) says it stands ready to hold its much-anticipated 55th national elective conference in December, and has introduced new rules governing internal party campaigns.

Road to ANC elective conference

The governing party on Friday, briefed the media in Johannesburg on preparations ahead of the national conference.

The ANC’s electoral committee, led by former president Kgalema Motlanthe, has written to all party members who want to be elected to the national executive committee (NEC) to provide declarations on the financial records of their campaigns.

The NEC is the ANC’s highest decision-making body in between national conferences.

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ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe said party members who are campaigning to be nominated and elected to various NEC positions, should keep records of all sources of their donations and spending on their campaigns.

“The full financial record of every campaign must be maintained and submitted to the electoral committee. All internal campaigns must submit detailed financial records to the electoral committee,” he said.

New rules approved by NEC

The electoral committee has also been given the power to demand further particulars from the different campaigns, including the bank statements of the candidates as well as interview the members of the campaign teams, Mabe added.

He said these new rules were approved by the NEC.

“All comrades who are campaigning for various NEC positions during the 55th national conference are instructed to submit the name of the campaign manager and fundraiser, the budget for the campaign with the expenditure items, sources of donations in funds or in kind, and a full statement of income and expenditure.”

The new directions are seen as the ANC’s response to public scrutiny that followed its 2017 elective conference, where concerns were raised over vote-buying and corruption, especially involving President Cyril Ramaphosa’s CR17 presidential campaign.

Mabe said should the campaigns fail to disclose the required information to the electoral committee, disciplinary action would be taken which could lead to disqualification from contesting positions and possible expulsion from the ANC.

Negative campaigning

The ANC is also clamping down on party members who engage in negative campaigning by discrediting their challengers.

“No ANC members or candidate may use any form of negative campaigning against another candidate or group of candidates,” Mabe said.

“Campaigns should focus on reasons to support your candidature,” he added.

According to the new rules, members found in violation of the guidelines, during campaigning, could face suspension or expulsion from the ANC following disciplinary action.

“Any candidate whose campaign supporters participate in such activities must condemn the actions of their supporters, and maybe be disqualified if they do not make a strong effort to end this abhorrent behaviour,” Mabe said.

He also confirmed that the deadline for its nomination period was still 7 November 2022, following an extension in October. Nominations were initially set to end on 2 October.

The ANC is expected to hold its elective congress in Nasrec, Johannesburg, from 15 to 20 December 2022.

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