Johannesburg -
After a couple of delays the African National Congress will hold its list conference on Monday ahead of the 2014 elections.
The conference was supposed to be held last year, but was delayed because of the death of former president Nelson Mandela.
It was then set to be held after the national executive committee's (NEC) meeting in Mpumalanga on January 6 and 7 but it was postponed again. This was reportedly done because internal dynamics within the party were making it difficult to finalise who would go to Parliament after this year's election.
At Monday's list conference, the party will decide on candidates for Parliament and provincial legislatures.
According to the ANC's list process guidelines the party needed 400 candidates for the National Assembly.
“List processes by nature will cause tensions in the organisation be cause some win and some lose and the order of names is important,” the party says in the guidelines.
“Our task is to allow a process that will have enough space for discussions, democratic participation, lobbying, objections, fair hearings, transparency in order, and acceptance of results.”
ANC branches have reportedly nominated candidates such as suspended Congress of SA Trade Unions general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi, Cosatu president Sidumo Dlamini and former Reserve Bank governor Tito Mboweni to take a seat in Parliament.
However, Vavi said he would not accept a parliamentary post.
ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe had reportedly urged Vavi to take up the position.
Vavi tweeted at the time: “I am honoured by ANC member’s confidence in me demonstrated through nomination to serve as an MP but I have to respectfully decline.
“To me the priority for now is not on strengthening of Parliament but building organs of people’s power, that’s how we can serve democracy.”
Dlamini had reportedly also declined nomination.
Despite the ANC's pledge in its manifesto to fight corruption the list reportedly included some members who were accused of corruption. This included ANC Northern Cape chairman John Block, who members nominated for premier, for ANC Youth League treasurer Pule Mabe, former chief whip Tony Yengeni and axed Gauteng MEC Humphrey Mmemezi.
ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu said list guidelines would determine whether those nominated for Cabinet were eligible.
A person could not be on the list if they were not an ANC member in good standing, if they had been found guilty of any crime, or were undisciplined and caused divisions within the party.
Anyone named on the ANC list also had to have a track record in leadership somewhere in the organisation and there had to be equal representation of men and women.
Mthembu said the party also had to consider continuity and represent the country's demographics.
President Jacob Zuma is expected to be the party's candidate for president, this reportedly despite concern about the effect of the controversy over security upgrades to his private home at Nkandla, in KwaZulu-Natal. - Sapa