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ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule confirmed that current and former ministers who have been embroiled in allegations of corruption and impropriety – including Nomvula Mokonyane, Bathabile Dlamini, Mosebenzi Zwane and Malusi Gigaba – have been selected by the party for its national and provincial lists.
Magashule made this revelation as the ruling party submitted its final list to the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) ahead of the commission’s 5pm cut-off time on Wednesday for all political parties wishing to submit their candidate lists.
The list is comprised of those who will represent the party in the National Assembly and provincial legislature in the upcoming May 8 elections.
“Yes, Monkoyane is on the list. Yes, Bathabile [Dlamini] is on the list…” said Magashule who also confirmed that Zwane and Gigaba were included.
He argued that even though there have been serious allegations levelled against them, these individual “have never been charged” by any court of law.
Turning the tables on journalists gathered outside the IEC’s Elections House in Centurion, Magashule asked: “Why do you want to single out people because they are there in the media? Why don’t you respect the universal principle [of innocent until proven guilty]? Why do you want to deal with Nomvula, for what?
“So you want us as politicians to remove anyone from our list because of allegations?” asked Magashule.
He added that there were ANC members who had declined nominations on the list.
“Former president Jacob Zuma who was high up in the list declined his nomination; Minister of Water and Sanitation Gugile Nkwinti also declined his nomination on the list,” said Magashule.
He also informed the media that the inclusion of these individuals did not mean that the ruling party was not taking allegations of wrongdoing lightly but instead meant that the party was honouring the individuals’ right to a fair trial.
“There are people who could not make it on to the list because of certain allegations, but this was different – in those cases it was because the courts of law had judgments against them,” said Magashule.
President Cyril Ramaphosa was unanimously nominated on the party’s list, Magashule said, and he was number one on the list followed by deputy president David Mabuza and ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe.
He added that “number four on the list is comrade Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Ronald Lamola, Fikile Mbalula, Lindiwe Sisulu, Zweli Mkize, Bheki Cele and Nomvula Monkoyane”.
The youngest person on the list was 20 years old and a product of the fee must fall movement, Magashule said.
“53% of those on the list are women and we also have a sizeable number of individuals with disability who were nominated on to the list.”
He added that the more than 800 members who were nominated were all put through a rigorous but democratic vetting process that led to the party nominating only the best candidates to represent it.
