ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula. Picture: Itumeleng English/ Independent Newspaper.
ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula has warned that those who are tainted by wrongdoing and criminal activities will not make it on to the party’s election list.
Mbalula has also confirmed that only 50% of current parliamentarians representing the country will be retained.
Mbalula was speaking on the sidelines of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) conference in Boksburg yesterday where the party is finalising its election list.
The ANC, along with other parties, is gearing up for the national and provincial elections on May 29.
The party has recently been hogging the news since the ANC’s integrity committee revealed that about 100 of its members could be barred from being included in their list.
It was widely reported that the committee had recommended that ANC members implicated in corruption mentioned in the Zondo commission be barred.
Among the high-profile members that could be facing the chop are the party's chairperson, Gwede Mantashe, who is also minister of mineral resources and energy.
Mantashe was named in the Zondo report for allegedly being involved in the Bosasa graft.
Other glaring additions are Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa, Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation David Mahlobo and Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni.
Other senior ANC members include the party’s deputy secretary general, Nomvula Mokonyane, former finance minister Malusi Gigaba and former health minister Zweli Mkhize.
Mbalula said the process of the finalising list included screening candidates for criminal records.
“The process of the list includes interviews in terms of engagements with each candidate… about 284 candidates were interviewed through this process. It has been a rigorous process,” Mbalula said.
He said the party was waiting for the report from the list committee.
“Today we will get the report from the list of candidates from the list committee. We will also be looking at integrity issues… And we will be also looking at performance because in all of this we are looking at continuity.
“We need to look at the performance of those who were given the opportunity, of which 50% of those must be retained so that there is continuity.
The party has vowed that they would be ready to file their list before the cut-off date on Friday.
The Star
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