The ANC NEC has sent the party’s parliamentary lists to its integrity commission for review after the party was pressured to reconsider certain candidates.
The African National Congress (ANC) announced on Tuesday, 2 April 2019, that it had “listened to the people” and had sent its national and provincial election lists to its integrity commission to ensure that the lists “reflect the party’s spirit of renewal and integrity.”
This comes after the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) met earlier in the week to address complaints about some of the individuals on the lists being of questionable character. Although the lists have been submitted for review, the party maintained that the lists were an outcome of a “democratic process” from its branches but concurred that some of the individuals could be removed if they don’t pass the scrutiny of the party’s integral commission.
The party did, however, add that the review would have to be “within the ambit of the list guidelines, the rules of natural justice and the 54th Conference resolutions.”
The party maintained that it will continue to treat non-convicted members suspected of crimes as innocent until they are proven guilty.
ANC deputy secretary-general, Jessie Duarte, particularly emphasised that they would not be “influenced” by the media’s mention of Ministers Bathabile Dlamini, Nomvula Mokonyane and former minister Malusi Gigaba.
News of the review were met with mixed emotions, as some NEC members objected it, arguing that the vetting of the names was already done by the party internally. Others, however, felt that this review would help remove the names of those associated with corruption and unethical behaviour and prevent the ANC from losing more votes.
ANC Veteran Mavuso Msimang said he would not be voting for the party if certain names were not removed from the list.
Abenathi Gqomo
a.gqomo@politicalanalysis.co.za
