ANC not ready to reveal parly list

ANC members who have made it onto the party's final list for deployment to parliament after the elections may still be removed.

This was because the vetting process of candidates, which may disqualify others, was yet to be completed.

The deadline for the submission of names to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) is January 31.

ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said the process might uncover that some did not meet the necessary criteria.

"Vetting may include removing names because there's a means test that individuals must meet [and] we are not at that stage now," Kodwa said.

"That includes criminal records, people who have a history of fostering divisions, people who have been to the disciplinary committee of the ANC [and] people who can't pass the test of the integrity of the ANC," he said.

Kodwa was addressing the media yesterday at the conclusion of the ANC's two-day national list conference at Coastlands Hotel in Umhlanga, north of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

He said candidates who made it to the 200 list will be submitted to the IEC by the end of the month after the national executive committee gives the approval.

Acting spokesperson Dakota Legoete said a reserve list will come into play in the event that a member resigns or dies, which will fill up that space.

He said any member on the list must enhance the integrity of the party as well as be electable in terms of the guidelines.

"The ANC is under no illusion that its list must enhance its integrity with the calibre of public representatives that are capable of advancing the electoral mandate of the ANC," said Legoete.

Kodwa, however, said the top 25 names would go into a "safe zone", but "the number on the list means nothing at the moment" as that will only be the case if the ANC wins the elections.

Asked to give the list of the names, Kodwa said the party was not in a position to mention any names yet, not even a "top 10".

Speculation was rife on whether the likes of former president Jacob Zuma and former home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba had made it to the list of members who stand to go to parliament.

Last month, Zuma and Gigaba made it to the ANC's parliamentary list of public representatives ahead of the elections.

The former statesman came in at number 74, while Gigaba was at 26. The preliminary national list was released last month after nominations were made at provincial list conferences.

However, it is not yet clear whether both men have accepted or declined their nominations.