Johannesburg - ANC members have come out in defence of a decision for Tony Yengeni to head up the crime and corruption committee taken at the party's elections manifesto workshop.
Eyebrows were raised on Monday when it was discovered that Yengeni, who was found guilty of fraud and corruption in 2003, was appointed to head up a committee dealing with crime and corruption.
The ANC held its election manifesto workshop in Pretoria on Monday, which is meant to discuss ideas that should be included in the party's manifesto for the 2019 general elections.
Delegates at the workshop were divided into nine committees that dealt with land reform, crime and corruption and health among others.
The ANC's head of policy Jeff Radebe defended Yengeni's position as head of the crime committee and said it was not unusual as he was an National Executive Committee (NEC) member.
Radebe said Yengeni had served his time and ANC members believed in him and that it why he was voted into the ANC's highest decision-making body outside of conferences.
READ: ANC 'shocked by scale of corruption', vows to root it out
"All the chairs of the working group are members of the NEC. Yes indeed he was found guilty and he served his sentence and paid his due. The members of the ANC voted him in the NEC, that’s why he’s a member and chairperson of the peace and stability committee," said Radebe on eNCA.
Yengeni has a history of drama and has previously been arrested for drunken driving.
For the fraud case, Yengeni was convicted for failing to declare a discount he received for a Mercedes from a arms dealer.
He was convicted to four years in prison, but only served four months.