Most ANC MPs expected to return

280114. Chief Albert Luthuli House. ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe adress the media following the African National Congress(ANC) one day NEC meeting, NEC Lekgotla and the National List Conference. All these meetings took place at Saint George Hotel in Irene. 189 Picture: Dumisani Sibeko

280114. Chief Albert Luthuli House. ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe adress the media following the African National Congress(ANC) one day NEC meeting, NEC Lekgotla and the National List Conference. All these meetings took place at Saint George Hotel in Irene. 189 Picture: Dumisani Sibeko

Published Mar 11, 2014

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Pretoria - More than half of the ANC's current MPs are on the party's list of Parliament candidates, secretary general Gwede Mantashe said on Tuesday.

“About 62 percent of the serving parliamentarians will be returning,” he told reporters in Centurion, south of Pretoria.

Long-serving minister Trevor Manuel, in Cabinet since 1994, and current deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe were not on the African National Congress's candidate list.

Mantashe said this was because the two had declined nomination.

MPs were expected to pay farewell to Motlanthe and Manuel on Tuesday during a sitting in Parliament.

The ANC submitted its list of candidates for Parliament and provincial legislatures to the IEC on Tuesday.

“We are comfortable [with the list]... we looked through it carefully,” Mantashe said.

He said the ANC's national list committee was ready to respond to any issues the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) might raise.

The deadline for political parties to submit their lists ahead of the national elections is Wednesday at 5pm.

The top 10 names on the ANC's Parliament list are:

- Jacob Zuma

- Cyril Ramaphosa

- Malusi Gigaba

- Naledi Pandor

- Jeff Radebe

- Fikile Mbalula

- Blade Nzimande

- Bathabile Dlamini

- Lindiwe Sisulu

- Collins Chabane

Others to make the list were Winnie Madikizela-Mandela at number 29 and African Union (AU) commission chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

Mantashe said Dlamini-Zuma was originally number 17 on the list but the party took her down to number 150 because of her current position.

“We have taken her down to an area that will probably put her on a reserve list because she will not be recalled from the AU... but we do not want to eliminate her,” he said.

There were also some controversial names on the list.

Former Communications Minister Dina Pule who was recalled from her position last year after the public protector's report into allegations of corruption and a potential conflict of interest against her, was number 70 on the list.

The probe involved Pule's appointment of service providers to do event management for the ICT Indaba in Cape Town.

Madonsela found Pule unlawfully extended her spousal benefits to her romantic partner Phosane Mngqibisa. She found that despite numerous denials, Pule told her department Mngqibisa was her official companion. Madonsela said at a meeting Pule told her Mngqibisa was not her spouse, as he was married to someone else under civil law.

Both Andile Lungisa and Pule Mabe, who are facing charges of fraud, were on the ANC's list at numbers 147 and 53 respectively.

Mantashe said the ANC vetted all its candidates and those who had not been convicted of a crime but where still facing charges in court could still be on the list.

“We did check our lists carefully,” he said.

It was found that some members had not paid traffic fines or store accounts, Mantashe urged them to do so.

Axed Limpopo premier Cassel Mathale was number 81 on the list.

Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan was number 13 on the list despite speculation whether his budget review presented last month would be his last.

The ANC Youth League's former deputy president Ronald Lamola was number 175 on the list, while former presidential spokesman Zizi Kodwa was number 22 and current party spokesman Jackson Mthembu number 27.

Tito Mboweni was also expected to return to Parliament as he made it as number 41.

Former Congress of the People MPs Leonard Ramatlkane and Juli Kilian also made the ANC's list.

Sapa

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