Corruption allegations don’t count, says Magashule
“Treat us like South Africans” was the response from those asked to step aside because of allegations of corruption and poor ethical judgment during the ANC’S list process.
This is according to ANC secretary general Ace Magashule, who this week briefed the media on the process, after the party had submitted its lists of candidates for the provincial and national legislatures to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).
Magashule said the governing party had “respected everything” in the Constitution in its vetting of candidates, but had allowed candidates to make the final call on whether they should be on the lists — except for those with criminal records.
He defended the inclusion of candidates who had been implicated in state capture or corruption, among them former and current Cabinet members Malusi Gigaba, Nomvula Mokonyane, Mosebenzi Zwane and Bathabile Dlamini.
“You are talking about people who have never been charged. Why do you want to single out people because they are out here in the media with allegations. Why do you want to deal with Nomvula? What has she done?” he asked.
Magashule said candidates who had been convicted of an offence for which the penalty was greater than 12 months in jail or a fine had been removed from the list. “There are people who could not make it [on to the lists], not because of allegation, but because courts of law have judgments against them,” Magashule said.
Referring again to Mokonyane and others, the secretary general said: “They are all in the list. They have qualified. Anybody who has not been found guilty by a court of law is on the list.”
Dlamini and Mokonyane are understood to have made the ANC’S top 20, with Mokonyane coming in at number 10 and Dlamini at 14.
The ANC’S Kwazulu-natal deputy chairperson, Mike Mabuyakhulu, was among those who declined nomination because of pending criminal charges against him, the ANC’S Kwazulu-natal secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli said last week.
Mabuyakhulu is charged with corruption and fraud for payments totalling R28-million by the Kwazulu-natal economic development department. This was while he was MEC; the amount was for a jazz festival that never took place.
Also placed in the ANC’S top 20 are elections head Fikile Mbalula (sixth) and national executive committee (NEC) member Ronald Lamola (fifth) while International Relations Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, Co-operative Governance Minister Zweli Mkhize and Police Minister Bheki Cele are understood to be placed seventh, eighth and ninth respectively.
The ANC head of organising, Senzo Mchunu, is believed to have been 13th on the list, behind Higher Education Minister Naledi Pandor (11th) and NEC member Thoko Didiza, who was placed 12th.
South African Communist Party secretary general Blade Nzimande and Art and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa were placed 14th and 16th respectively, ahead of Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga (17th) and Small Business Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu (18th).
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has fielded its top two leaders — president Julius Malema and his deputy, Floyd Shivambu — as its number one and two candidates on its list for the National Assembly, with Dali Mpofu returning to the party’s parliamentary contingent in third place. The deputy secretary general, Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi, was placed fourth on the EFF national list, one spot ahead of secretary general Godrich Gardee.
Three women, Leigh-ann Mathys, Reneiloe Mashabela and Tebogo Mokwele, were in the EFF’S top 10 positions.
#Feesmustfall activist Bonginkosi Khanyile is among the party’s candidates for the Kwazulu-natal provincial legislature, which is headed by the sitting party provincial leader, Vusi Khoza.
The Democratic Alliance has announced its premier and presidential candidates, but is yet to make public its lists, which, according to party sources, are 50% black at provincial level.
The party has not released its lists yet because there are candidates on it who have not yet resigned from their jobs, said Gauteng DA leader John Moodey.
An “initial assessment” of the party’s national list showed that 48% of the DA’S candidates are white, 33% black, 12% coloured, 6% of Indian descent and 1% Chinese, two sources said.
The Socialist Revolutionary Workers Party, backed by the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, has registered to contest the national and provincial elections for the first time.
According to the IEC timetable, the candidate lists will be open from March 29 to April 1 for inspection, and the deadline for objections to candidates closes on April 2.
The final certification of candidates by the IEC will take place on April 25.