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Battlelines drawn over corruption-accused on ANC lists as NEC meeting called

Those loyal to Ace Magashule will argue that accusations of corruption do not warrant removal from the lists.
Those loyal to Ace Magashule will argue that accusations of corruption do not warrant removal from the lists. 
Image: Gallo Images

A special ANC national executive committee meeting called for Monday is expected to hear fierce calls for people implicated in corruption and state capture to step aside from the party’s lists to parliament for the sake of the party. 

But the opposing side, loyal to ANC secretary general Ace Magashule, is expected to come armed with a counter-argument that accusations of corruption do not warrant removal from the lists. 

There has been fierce debate over the state of the ANC’s list to parliament that includes ANC leaders who have been found to have lied under oath, others who have been implicated in evidence before the state capture commission and some facing allegations of corruption. 

ANC NEC members loyal to President Cyril Ramaphosa have argued that the lists do not support the president’s message to the electorate of the renewal of the party.

"It is clear that society is rejecting some of the people on the lists and we have to remove them," a source in the NEC loyal to Ramaphosa said. 

In contrast, those who are known to be opposed to him say Ramaphosa’s supporters are using the list to purge those opposed to him. 

"If you say Nomvula (Mokonyane) has been involved in Bosasa then the president too was involved. If you want to remove Mosebenzi Zwane then you must remove Gwede (Mantashe) too,” the source said. 

ANC spokesperson Dakota Legoete confirmed that a special NEC meeting had been called for Monday and the lists "will feature in the discussions". 

"One of the approaches we will discuss is whether people who are implicated should step aside if there are issues or should the party allow the IEC to remove you," he said. 

He said so far all those who were facing criminal cases had been removed from the list. 

"But all the people who are being investigated and there are no findings, how do you take administrative actions because there is no findings (against them)?" Legoete questioned. 

He said NEC members would be allowed to raise whatever matters they wanted to and the party would not ignore the plea from the elders or veterans and stalwarts who this week called on those implicated to step aside and remove themselves from the lists. 

On Friday the IEC published all the lists of political parties contesting the national elections and objections to the list were opened on Friday. 

Magashule previously defended the list saying that people who did not have a criminal record were allowed on the list as per the law. 

But the ANC elders this week said the party could not allow people implicated in wrongdoing to represent the party. 

"We must take a clear stand to say that this thing of 'innocent until proven guilty' is nonsense," said party veteran Cheryl Carolus.

She was criticised by the ANC Women’s League for saying the party had ‘tsotsis’ on its list to parliament. 

Former president Kgalema Motlanthe also weighed in on the lists saying they were "weak" and did not inspire confidence.

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