More ANC bigwigs at threat of poll-list chop
Four senior ANC leaders are at risk of being removed from the list of potential MPs after they were flagged by the party’s top seven and its integrity commission.
The Sunday Times understands the ANC is busy with an internal process that could result in several senior party members being removed from the list that has been sent to the Electoral Commission (IEC).
It is understood that those who may lose their spot on the list include national executive committee members Zizi Kodwa, former minister Malusi Gigaba, deputy minister David Mahlobo and MP Cedric Frolick.
An ANC national executive committee (NEC) meeting to discuss the list a day before the IEC deadline overruled the top brass that had flagged the four leaders, leading to their inclusion on the list.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is said to have told the NEC meeting that the state capture commission had made adverse findings against the four and recommended that they should be ineligible to stand.
The NEC decided that for now the party should only remove from its list those who have been charged and not those who are facing allegations. It was then agreed that the ANC would await final recommendations from its integrity commission.
The Sunday Times reported at the time that the ANC had blocked at least 10 prominent leaders facing criminal charges from its candidate lists, but after intense talks last month it decided to allow dozens implicated in state capture to contest the polls.
Those chucked out included ANC eThekwini chair Zandile Gumede; former Limpopo chair Danny Msiza; MPs Bongani Bongo and Mosebenzi Zwane; NEC member Andile Lungisa; and former Free State MEC Motshidisi Koloi.
Although Kodwa, Gigaba, Mahlobo and Frolick have not been charged in court and are not subject to the step-aside provision, senior ANC leaders believe the bar needs to be set higher as the party faces its toughest election yet.
Kodwa was fingered by the state capture commission for an alleged beneficial relationship with Jehan Mackay, a former director at technology group EOH. Mahlobo stands accused of bribing judges during his tenure as minister of state security.
The Zondo commission also zoomed into Gigaba’s tenure as minister of public enterprises, accusing him of having had a close relationship with the Gupta family and participating in their schemes to capture the state, while Frolick was fingered for alleged dodgy dealings with Bosasa.
Only Kodwa responded to questions saying: “Please talk to the ANC about a list, that matter is closed. Now we are busy with the election campaign.”
The process to cleanse the list go beyond criminal charges to focus on issues of ethics and integrity. “There is an internal process in the ANC to look closely at the list, and those who might have questions hanging over their character and conduct,” said an NEC member who did not want to be identified. “The integrity commission have a right to intervene and it is busy with that process.”
ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile
confirmed such a process was under way, but said it was not aimed at Kodwa, Mahlobo, Frolick and Gigaba.
“That process is not targeting them, it’ sa process that looks at all candidates. The reason why the NEC did not remove them from the list is because the processes within the ANC were not complete,” Mashatile said.
“So the NEC said ‘Look, it will be wrong to remove someone when in fact the ANC itself has not finalised their position with respect to the allegations’. And the NEC said ‘Let’s go ahead, present the list’. At some point once we have concluded our process and the process comes to a determination that somebody shouldn’t be in parliament, the NEC will then act.
“There are processes in parliament that you finalise, not just within this period it could even be in six months. We find that now that this process has concluded it says this comrade can’t be. In the ANC you can be pulled out at any time, it doesn’t mean if you have made it now and six months down the line we find that you are not suitable to be there you will be left there. No, you will be removed because we have a long list. Somebody else will come in.”