Johannesburg - The ANC’s top brass has set its eyes on its national integrity committee as the last hope to indicate what it must do with the tainted names on its list of candidates for Parliament and provincial legislatures.
The party has been on the receiving end of criticism, including from its own veterans, for including leaders who are implicated in allegations of state capture and other allegations of wrongdoing in its list of likely representatives after the general elections.
Over the weekend, the party’s national executive committee held a special meeting in Irene, Tshwane, where the composition of the ANC list was among key issues on the agenda.
In a statement, the party’s national leadership reiterated that its lists were a product of a democratic process.
“The process to arrive at the final lists submitted to the IEC went through a democratic, rigorous, thorough and fair process, involving ANC branches, provinces and alliance partners, unparalleled by any other political party in this country,” the ANC said.
ANC stalwarts have indicated that while they would rally behind the ANC in the elections, they would escalate their campaign against those they described as discredited on the party’s list.
Those questioned on the list include Environmental Affairs Minister Nomvula Mokonyane and former mineral resources minister Mosebenzi Zwane.