Durban - The SACP in KwaZulu-Natal has thrown its weight behind the ANC’s Integrity Committee following reports that some in the ruling party, including the MK Military Veterans Association, were calling of its overhaul.
During a press briefing in Durban on Tuesday, SACP provincial secretary Themba Mthembu blamed the ANC for the findings of the committee, which was formed through resolutions of the 2017’s ANC conference in Nasrec to hold party leaders accountable.
He said the committee should be allowed space to do its work and that the ANC's national executive committee (NEC) should implement the committee's recommendations.
“If the NEC is not decisive we are going to experience shortcomings in addressing what we are currently seeing with regards to the conduct of some leaders in the ruling party,” he said.
Ahead of the swearing in of MPs, the integrity commission summoned 23 high profile ANC leaders, including deputy president David Mabuza and Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, to appear before it to answer on various allegations of misconduct against them.
The Sunday Times reported at the weekend that MKMVA president Kebby Maphatsoe had lashed out at the commission after it had also summoned him.
However, Mthembu said the commission should be allowed to do its work without being attacked. He accused certain leaders of the ANC of weakening the commission. He said lack of integrity within the NEC had compromised the commission.
“The integrity commission won’t be effective if the ANC is allowed to degenerate,” said Mthembu.
He blamed the ANC’s national executive committee for failing to implement the recommendations of the integrity commission.
"If the ANC itself is allowed to degenerate the integrity commission won’t be effective," said Mthembu.
The press conference following the SACP provincial working committee meeting at the weekend, which had resolved that the party’s provincial leadership should have an urgent meeting with Premier Sihle Zikalala to discuss mistakes of moving councillors from certain ill performing municipalities to the provincial legislature.
“While municipalities are collapsing you take a big chunk of leadership from the municipalities to the provincial government.
“We are now going starting afresh looking for new people with no experience to serve these collapsing municipalities,” said Mthembu.