Election of murder-accused Msibi a test of ANC’s renewal
PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has taken issue with the election of ANC leaders who are facing criminal charges, saying such endorsements by delegates undermined the governing party's renewal project.
A seemingly disappointed Ramaphosa was reacting to the election of Mandla Msibi as Mpumalanga ANC treasurer during the 13th provincial conference at Emalahleni at the weekend.
Msibi is currently out on bail after being charged with murder following a shooting in Mbombela last year.
The former agriculture MEC was forced to step aside from his duties in the ANC and government pending the outcome of his case.
He has denied any involvement in the case.
In Limpopo, party treasurer Danny Msiza has had to step aside after being indicted by the National Prosecution Authority for his alleged role in the looting of more than R2 billion of the now collapsed VBS Mutual Bank. Msiza dismissed the claims as politically motivated.
He has been nominated to contest for the position of Limpopo ANC secretary at the upcoming provincial conference.
“We need to demonstrate to all and sundry that indeed the ANC is serious about self correcting. It's serious when it comes with matters of dealing with corruption, it's serious about the implementation of our resolution, and on issues such as stepping side, we must demonstrate that we are truly serious as the ANC,” Ramaphosa said.
“During the course of your election, you took the step of endorsing and electing one of the comrades who is facing charges.
“Now, I know that you have reflected on this, and you are going to do further reflection. This matter does need your reflection as a disciplined membership of this organisation. Your reflection must be based on the decisions taken by our national conference.”
Ramaphosa also called on the ANC national executive committee (NEC), the highest decision-making body between conferences, to reflect on Msibi's election because “you are not the only province that is facing this issue”.
“As I said comrades, the issue of renewal is a process. And as we go through this process we learn from some of the things that we continue to do.
“Let us not downplay the progress that we are making, as through the eye of the needle document warned against back in 2001,” the president said, reminding delegates the public expected the ANC to be an organisation that “truly leads society” and “upholds the highest of values”.
On Friday, Gwen Ramokgopa, the co-ordinator in the office of the ANC secretary-general, told ANC delegates that Msibi would be given a chance to clear his name before he assumed his duties.
“We want to acknowledge that comrade Msibi did not wait for the party to suspend him but took the moral high ground and stepped aside on his own. He said to us ‘I'm not guilty but I acknowledge my serious charges'. The step aside rule applies, comrades. We must know that. But we respect that he did not force to be here at this conference. So comrades, the comrade (Msibi) will not be available to do ANC work and it's a dilemma that will face this collective,” Ramokgopa said.