The ANC Veterans League has called for leaders implicated in the report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture and those investigated by law-enforcement agencies to be blocked from being elected to the ruling party’s national executive committee (NEC).
The league’s national task team (NTT) has raised serious concerns with the list of 200 members who are in line to be elected to the NEC when the governing party holds its 55th national elective conference at the Nasrec Expo Centre near Soweto from December 16-20.
“One of the key tasks of the upcoming ANC national conference is to elect a new leadership. The NTT of the veterans league believes that anyone who is implicated in wrongdoing either by commissions of inquiry, law-enforcement agencies or the ANC’s integrity commission should not be standing for election,” it said in a statement on Thursday.
“In this regard, the NTT raised a number of serious concerns with the currently published list of nominations for the ANC NEC, including the lack of representativity, whether the vetting process has been concluded, and whether the names of comrades who declined nomination can be published.
“It was agreed that the veterans league will take this up as a matter of urgency with the ANC NEC, including ensuring that the vetting process excludes those who have brought the organisation into disrepute.”
Some of the key leaders implicated in the Zondo Commission report include ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe, NEC members Nomvula Mokonyane, Malusi Gigaba, and Mosebenzi Zwane, among others.
Both Mantashe and Mokonyane are contesting for top-six leadership positions of chairperson and deputy secretary-general, respectively.
ANC presidential hopeful Zweli Mkhize is embroiled in a R150-million Digital Vibes corruption case that has been brought by the Special Investigating Unit.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is himself being investigated by the Hawks and the public protector in connection with theft of foreign currency at his Phala Phala farm in February 2020.
On Tuesday, parliament will debate and vote on the report of the Section 89 independent panel of experts which found that Ramaphosa may have violated the constitution in relation to the Phala Phala burglary, which he failed to report to the police.
“As the ANC approaches its 55th national conference, we believe that the ANC needs to not
only elect strong, untainted leadership who will take the ANC and the country forward, but there must be a clear and decisive plan to do so,” the league said.
The league met on Wednesday after Ramaphosa survived an onslaught from his opponents last week, who wanted him to resign from office following the release of the panel’s report.
The NEC has since endorsed Ramaphosa’s decision to launch a judicial review of the report, which he has sought the Constitutional Court to set aside.
The league’s members also agreed that ANC leaders need to act in the best interest of the country when dealing with the Phala Phala matter in parliament next week.
“This involves minimising uncertainty, having a managed transparent process and respecting the rule of law. This is a time when disruptive forces can destabilise efforts to renew the ANC, and this must be guarded against at all costs.”
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