Johannesburg - Fighting corruption in the ANC will be a “battle”, ANC integrity committee member Frene Ginwala has told The Sunday Times.
“To have taken the step of actually setting up such a committee is an enormous battle and it has come,” Ginwala was quoted as telling the newspaper in an interview.
“We've got to maintain the pressure to make sure it becomes effective. Even among the members of the committee, as well as among the national executive, its going to be a battle.”
The integrity committee - which has been designed to root out corruption in the African National Congress - was established and had is guidelines approved last month.
According to The Sunday Times, Ginwala said that to “some extent” there was the political will to ensure the effectiveness of the committee.
“... But to understand the full reality of what it's going to mean - it will mean attacking one's own comrades...,” she said.
The ANC stalwart said the party had become “much more sensitive” about corruption.
“The intention and the disgust at the undermining of ANC values is much more prevalent than I've seen it before.”
Ginwala said it had been difficult for the ANC to come to terms with seeing corruption in its own ranks.
“I'm not trying to blame the past, but I'm saying to come out of that has taken a major effort, because it was always easy to point at the apartheid people, but then you didn't look at yourself. You saw it as something of the past.”
The committee is chaired by Rivonia trialist and former Robben Island prisoner Andrew Mlangeni.
Other members of the committee are Nelson Diale, Gertrude Shope, Ahmed Kathrada, Rashida Abdullah, Mendi Msimang, Sophie De Bruyn, Jethro Ndlovu, Dennis Goldberg, Lindelwe Mabandla and Nokukhanya Jele.
At its national conference in Mangaung last year, the ANC resolved to set up the integrity committee to protect its image.
It said the committee would ensure that urgent action was taken to deal with ANC members who faced allegations of improper conduct. - Sapa