Will the ANC have the guts to axe hundreds of illegally elected councillors?

Is the ANC going to make a bold move and fire all the councillors who cheated their way onto the party candidates’ lists last year as it presents itself as a new, ethical party acceptable to the electorate?

That’s the question on many lips as the governing party’s national executive committee (NEC) convenes this weekend, to make what could be a watershed moment decision in line with its resolution on renewal and unity, taken at Nasrec almost five years ago.

Hundreds of councillors countrywide are in the firing line as the ANC targets illegally elected councillors – both ward and PR representatives who were elected during the November local government elections.

Observers believe such a move would send a clear message the ANC will no longer tolerate cheating and corruption in its ranks and that it was keeping its word to rectify the matter. Tshwane University of Technology political analyst Levy Ndou said if the ANC agreed to remove them, despite the risk of losing seats in future by-elections, it would help restore the confidence of the electorate in the party.

“If the ANC is serious about its renewal it must do what is right and not tolerate illegality and corrupt activities within its ranks,” Ndou said.

He believed there was no guarantee the ANC would win all the seats left vacant by the cheaters in future by-elections. The NEC was expected to adopt the report of the electoral committee, chaired by former president Kgalema Motlanthe to be presented at the NEC session, which began on Friday and runs until toomorrow.

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The report was believed to contain damning findings about councillors whose names were smuggled onto party lists without following proper ANC internal nomination processes prior to the polls. It is understood that Motlanthe would recommend the councillors be removed and disciplinary action taken against them and that they be replaced with the legitimate candidates.

The ANC appointed Motlanthe to undertake an investigation into party-list irregularities after communities and ANC members complained that their candidate choices were secretly removed and replaced with unknown people.

The “parachuted councillors”, as they are known, were both ward and proportional representation councillors – and the problem was countrywide. The wrong names were submitted to the Electoral Commission of South Africa amid huge protests by communities and party branches. The initial report obtained by Saturday Citizen indicated that some senior politicians, including Cabinet ministers, MECs and mayors, were among the culprits who participated in smuggling illegal names onto lists.

Political analyst prof Dirk Kotze said the ANC’s approach was risky, but it had to be done because the party undertook to correct its mistake.

“The ANC will be circumspect in its application of the rule in dealing with the culprits. The real issue will be in the fine print,” Kotze said.

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Where the ANC had realised it ran the highest risk of losing, it could decide to backtrack instead of taking a risk.

“They will accept the Motlanthe report as is, but the implementation could be on a case-bycase basis,” Kotze said.

While the PR “parachutes” could be replaced with new deployees, the dismissal of ward councillors would necessitate by-elections.

“It is high time that our movement cleans itself. If we don’t do it, who is going to do it for us,” said a senior ANC member, who preferred to remain anonymous.

“This is the beginning of the cleansing process. “We want to restore our movement to its former glory and dignity.”

– ericn@citizen.co.za