With only five days left before the filing of national and provincial legislature candidates lists to the IEC, the ANC has been left to ponder its immediate future following a damning ANC integrity commission report which has called for the removal of almost 100 corruption-implicated leaders from its candidate lists.
This comes after “City Press” reported on the findings of a recent report by the party’s integrity commission which has recommended that more than 90 of the party’s members implicated in corruption and widespread state capture be excluded from its election candidate list.
The publication has revealed that out of the 97 implicated members, five were cleared by the integrity commission and another 62 have been referred for disciplinary hearings.
It is further reported that the committee is set to discuss and approve the candidate lists on Monday following a Top Seven meeting to discuss the report’s implication on some of the implicated ANC leaders, including Cabinet ministers.
The recommendations by the commission comes just as political parties are expected to submit their candidates lists to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) for both parliament and provincial legislatures by March 8.
In January, during the party’s NEC meeting at the Birchwood Hotel, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula confirmed that more than 90 ANC members had met with the party’s internal disciplinary committee.
It was reported that Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe and Sports Minister Zizi Kodwa are some of the senior ANC members implicated by the State Capture Commission.
Mbalula said all 90 members had appeared before the Integrity Commission and their matters were now at the disciplinary committee stage.
Reacting to The Star’s request for comment, national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said the party will only comment on the commission’s recommendations after Monday’s NEC meeting.
“The ANC will comment on its list process after the special NEC meeting scheduled to take place tomorrow,” she said.
The publication further reveals that among those cleared by the report is President Cyril Ramaphosa and Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana.
According to the “City Press” report, Ramaphosa has been cleared of any wrongdoing relating to the 2020 theft of more than US$580 000 at his Phala Phala farm.
Another survivor is Mantashe, who has also been cleared of corrupt allegations linking him to Bosasa’s security system installation at his home while Godongwana, whose sexual assault case at the Kruger National Park in 2022 was withdrawn, is reportedly among those cleared.
In January, Mbalula indicated that the ANC’s Integrity Commission would finalise its terms of reference as well as its step aside guidelines. However, as things stand, and with elections on the way, it is not clear how the party will deal with this headache.
“What will be discussed in terms of the Integrity Commission is to finalise the terms of reference of the Integrity Commission to table the step-aside guidelines as adopted by the previous NEC for affirmation by the new NEC,” Mbalula told the media at the Birchwood Hotel.
The Star