Luthuli House orders investigation into ‘parachuted’ election candidates

ANC Luthuli House headquarters has issued a strong instruction for the implementation of the Kgalema Motlanthe report into electoral irregularities involving the manipulation of council candidates lists prior to the 2021 November local government election.

This after affected communities in some provinces complained to the Motlanthe election committee about cheating involving the smuggling of political connected people into election lists that were submitted to the Electoral Commission of South Africa.

Luthuli House initially ignored the complaints but the affected communities insisted the matter be resolved otherwise they wouldn’t vote for the party in the 2024 election.

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ANP leaders forced to handle the matter

Now with the elections around the corner, the ANC top leadership was forced to attend to the matter fearing losing at the next polls, where the party was envisaged to lose its majority.

It’s alleged KwaZulu-Natal and North West were being targeted for the investigations because of the high numbers of irregularities in the two provinces.

The ANC resolved to appoint a “special team” to investigate both KZN and North West, where senior provincial leaders, MPs and mayors were fingered for “parachuting” unknown people into councillor candidates lists and ignored those chosen by people.

In a letter to provincial secretaries and provincial interim co-ordinators and the party’s provincial deployees, the party’s secretary general Fikile Mbalula said an investigation would be initiated into all the irregularities countrywide.

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“The ANC will investigate all allegations of irregular conduct and non-compliance with the rules and procedures for the 2021 local government candidate selection process.

“The ANC will implement the findings and recommendations of the investigation and take the necessary remedial and disciplinary action,” Mbalula said.

Luthuli House directed all provinces to conclude outstanding remedial action and disciplinary processes arising from the Motlanthe Report.

Mbalula said the NEC meeting held from 21-to 24 April emphasised the importance of honouring the undertaking given by the ANC through President Cyril Ramaphosa to the country in general and the citizens of the wards that were affected by irregularities.

The cheating involved the manipulation of the candidates lists which saw many unknown people being ‘parachuted’ onto the candidates lists without being nominated by ANC members and communities.

The parachuted councillors currently served in various councils as mayors, senior councils, whips and other top positions despite the objections by the communities that they were strangers and not their choices.

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For a long time since November 2021, the ANC had ignored the community complaints while the “councillors” continued in their undeserved positions.

In the North West, senior ANC members, Ministers, MPs, provincial leaders, mayors and certain councillors allegedly participated in the wrong act. Some mayors especially in Madibeng and Matlosana local municipalities had been accused of interfering with the hiring of municipal managers and chief financial officers while properly qualified candidates were sideline.

This week at the Madibeng local municipality, municipal manager……. was removed because he did not toe the line of his political bosses.

The recommendations of the Motlanthe Report were tabled to the NEC but were not implemented despite.

As a result communities in various provinces threatened not to vote for the ANC in future elections or not vote at all.

ALSO READ: Motlanthe wielding the axe against ‘Parachuted’ ANC councillors

The North West lists irregularities had been challenged in Mafikeng high court by some disgruntled ANC members and the judgement was still pending.

The members also alleged that the Bojanala leadership illegally removed mayors, deputy mayors, speakers, deputy speaker and chief whips they believed did not support them in the municipalities.

Mbalula this week ordered that the ANC provincial executive committees accompanied by NEC deployees should visit and engage structures and communities in the affected wards over the next three weeks.

They must submit reports by to the party head office by Friday, 12 May 2023 for consideration by the party’s Top 7 officials on Monday, 15 May and the national working committee by Monday, 22 May 2023.

The party asked for all outstanding remedial action and disciplinary processes be concluded by June 2023 and reported to the NEC on 22 – 23 June 2023.