President Cyril Ramaphosa has confirmed that the ANC candidates list is not final following questionable names which are entangled by the State Capture Report and other sleaze activities.
He said, however, leaking of the ANC candidate list demeaned the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) processes.
In relation to questionable candidates such as Malusi Gigaba who was fingered during State Capture Report following his relationship with the controversial Gupta family, Bathabile Dlamini who was found guilty for perjury and disgraced former Health Minister Zweli Mkhize of Digital Vibes scandal, President Ramaphosa confirmed that the ANC NEC and its Integrity Commission will not hesitate to remove the names should they be found not to meet the ANC candidates parliamentary criteria.
He said this during his election campaign in Ekurhuleni on Saturday before attending the sold out Soweto derby clash of the titans between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs. “The list is out, we have nothing to hide even as the list was leaked. It is the list of the African National Congress. It’s unfortunate somebody was just too excited, somebody was just too eager to publicise the list and that in itself demeans the processes of the IEC and brings the IEC into disrepute. The IEC is a reputable organisation, and we must continue upholding the integrity of the IEC,” Ramaphosa said.
Meanwhile, the ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsisi confirmed that 31 of ANC senior leaders who served the ruling party for decades will not be going back to Parliament and will be retiring from political activism.
National Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa- Nqakula, Minister in the Presidency for Women and Children, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan all confirmed that they will not be available after the national elections.
President for the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) Collen Malatji has called for some ANC senior leaders to consider retiring after the general elections and allow young people to be deployed in Parliament. “They must call their friends and request them to follow suit because there are young people on the list, and we still want them to go up; now they are closing the space for the youth, and can they follow suit? All the pensioners that have accepted must decline the nomination, and those that have been accused of corruption, we don’t want them on our list,” he said this during the launch of the Northern Cape Youth League Volunteers event in Kuruma.
Comments