Protect ANC’s image, Magashule tells members

The ANC has called on its members who want to support anyone facing criminal charges or allegations related to state capture to do so in their personal capacity to avoid creating the impression that the party supports corruption.

However, ANC secretarygeneral Ace Magashule reiterated that the party believed in the principle of presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.

“Individual members of the ANC and society have the right to express their sympathy and solidarity with the affected persons in their individual capacity, and not through any structures of the movement, including the ANC leagues and the MKMVA [uMkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association],” he said, following a three-day national executive committee meeting.

“Members involved in such actions are discouraged from displaying ANC’s paraphernalia and thus creating the false impression that the ANC as an organisation identifies with, or approves of, the misdemeanours of which any member or leader may be accused.”

The ANC Women’s League, youth league and the MKMVA have been staunch supporters of former president Jacob Zuma.

This call comes as Zuma is set to face 16 charges. He is expected to appear in court on April 6 following a decision by the National Prosecuting Authority to charge him.

Zuma is also likely to be called to appear before the judicial commission of inquiry into state capture, of which he, his son Duduzane and the controversial Gupta family are central.

The NEC’s three-day meeting in Cape Town ended on Sunday. Zuma attended.

Magashule said allegations against the former president were not discussed.

He also did not answer the question about whether Zuma would be allowed to continue campaigning for the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal ahead of the 2019 general election.

The secretary-general said the NEC had recommitted itself to continue the campaign to restore the integrity and dignity of the ANC and called for the fight against corruption and state capture to intensify.

The NEC was aware that some of its members and leaders would be called to account to law enforcement agencies and the commission of inquiry and should co-operate.

Magashule said the NEC had also directed its national working committee to finalise the terms of reference and setting up of the party’s integrity commission and report back at the next committee meeting.

This is despite the fact that the NEC in 2015 resolved that the commission would be given more teeth and that its findings were binding. However, the ANC has ignored most findings of the integrity commission, especially those on Zuma.

He said the meeting had resolved that a special NEC should be held to assess the feasibility of convening regional and provincial conferences ahead of the 2019 elections.