Graft allegations: Mbalula defends candidate list

Although the ANC has come under fire for including members accused of corruption on its candidate list, it has defended its selection processes and maintained its firm stance on the integrity of its members.

The ruling party said its selection process was “rigorous and transparent”, and the candidates selected for parliament and provincial legislatures underwent strict criteria.

ANC fail to implement renewal

However, Sandile Swana, an independent political analyst, said the ANC failed to implement renewal – and the list raised questions of its moral standing.

“The list they have produced, it is as if [the Zondo commission] was preparing their election list of people to put in parliament rather than the ones they should exclude,” he said.

“The fat cats of the ANC and the enforcers of the continuing and long-term corruption of the ANC have remained on the list.”

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Swana said the ruling party needs a new calibre of leaders and representatives who can rise to the occasion. “When we look at the capabilities of the ANC, the party has made into an intellectual desert.

“We do not see this list as a list that is bringing in the calibre of intellectuals that used to populate the party. The whole list is created in order to accommodate all kinds of factions and sub-factions, in order to try and piece together the ANC,” he said.

ANC in difficult position

Another political analyst, Ntsikelelo Breakfast, said the ruling party found itself in a difficult position as exclusions of certain individuals would disrupt the party’s election campaign.

He said the list of candidates indicated that the ANC did not take the findings of the Zondo commission seriously.

“What we can see from the list is that the party is more interested in putting itself first than the interests of the country.

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“Why institute a commission and spend money to uncover the truth about corruption and then not take it seriously? They should have never commissioned it in the first place,” said Breakfast.

“The ANC adopted the programme of renewal to cleanse itself, but here the integrity commission has been embroiled in factional battles with the Ramaphosa saga. I don’t know if those internal mechanisms are effective in addressing issues of corruption within the party ranks.”

Some candidate face allegations

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula told the media yesterday that the role of the ANC electoral committee and integrity commission in candidate selection indicated the party’s position in upholding ethical standards and holding its members accountable.

Some ANC candidates who are still facing allegations of corruption and misconduct have been widely criticised, despite the party’s step-aside policy.

“The ANC is following due processes. There is nothing that is being put under the carpet or not being addressed by the national executive committee [NEC],” Mbalula said.

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“We know people wanted us to take a decision there and there [are] these people do not qualify, but we can’t do that without following the rules, because litigation will work against us.”

During the briefing, Mbalula said from the 20 people who appeared in the Zondo Commission, only six appear on the 2024 candidate list, and each had been attended to.

He maintained that if any members were arrested or formally charged, the ANC would act.

Gigaba and Mahlobo allowed to stand

He revealed that Melusi Gigaba and David Mahlobo, who appeared on the list despite accusations levelled against them, were allowed to stand as ANC candidates pending the outcome of their disciplinary committee.

“There are no adverse findings on them because they did not go. So, they must account to the disciplinary committee,” he said.

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“They are on the list as their cases have not been confirmed by the NEC and the NEC is due to process a host of cases which comes from the integrity commission that affect individuals,” said Mbalula.

He emphasised that such members would be reassessed.