Daily Dispatch

Talk seems cheap here

LAST month, while tabling his organisational report at the party’s national general council, ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe appealed to his organisation to be intolerant to those facing serious corruption charges.

Mantashe told the gathering, attended by delegates from branches around the country, that corruption or its perception within the party had damaged the organisation’s image. He warned if nothing was done the ANC could lose power in the same way the Congress Party of India, which was hit by a barrage of damaging corruption scandals in its second term of office, did.

Mantashe warned that the party could no longer use the “innocent until proven guilty” argument.

Those charged with serious crimes have to step aside voluntarily. Failing that, the ANC leadership should force them to do so.

“Of great concern are the (NEC) members who are either charged or have pending cases of corruption against them. As the number of these comrades grows we will be unable to sustain the technical argument of innocent until proven guilty,” said Mantashe.

“We must appreciate that these cases diminish the standing and dent the image of the organisation. When comrades step down from positions voluntarily, it does not mean or imply guilt.

“It also helps improve the standing and image of the movement.”

Knowing full well that the ANC is faced with its most challenging local government election campaign when it contests power at next year’s municipal elections, Mantashe warned that perceptions of a corrupt ANC could cost them dearly at the polls.

“There is a growing general public concern that the movement is corrupt and is protecting those within our ranks who are corrupt,” Mantashe warned in his report.

But as we all know, the party’s biggest Achilles heel has been its unwillingness to put its words into action. The message from Mantashe was very clear: the ANC had tolerated corruption for far too long.

Now fast forward to last weekend. The same ANC convenes a regional conference in East London for its Buffalo City region. What did the delegates do? They elect three leaders, who are facing serious charges of fraud and corruption into its regional executive.

If, only a month ago, the party said those facing serious charges should step aside, how did it allow the nomination and subsequent election of Pumlani Mkolo, Sindiswa Gomba and Luleka Simon-Ndzele into the regional executive committee this weekend?

These are among a group of ANC leaders charged for their role in the swindling out of millions of rands meant for Nelson Mandela’s burial two years ago. What do we have here? The answer is the ANC’s forked tongue on corruption being exposed – yet again.