ANC members implicated in VBS scandal not included in party list

African National Congress (ANC) members in Limpopo implicated in the VBS saga have not been included the party lists for the provincial and national elections.

The party’s National Working Committee (NWC) has supported the recommendation of the Integrity Commission that officials implicated in the looting of VBS mutual bank must step aside from all their leadership roles until they’re cleared by the relevant state authorities.

The ANC in Limpopo held its lists conference in Polokwane on Saturday.

Two senior officials, Treasurer Danny Msiza and Deputy chairperson and Vhembe district executive mayor Florence Radzilani, have been deeply implicated by the Reserve Bank report. The two officials did not attend the list conference.

ANC chairperson and Premier Stan Mathabatha says all the party members implicated in the VBS saga were non-voting delegates in the lists conference.

Mathabatha says the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC), will meet on Monday to discuss ways to implement the NWC decision.

“We said because we’re receiving this letter later, what we’re going to do, we’re not to discuss it extensively – what we’ll do is to err on the side of caution and request the comrades, not only the two of them, any comrade who is implicated, not to get voting status until Monday when the PEC is going to meet.”

According to Mathabatha, the VBS saga has divided the ANC PEC. Apart from the two senior officials implicated in the looting of the mutual bank, some municipal officials, including the mayors of ten municipalities, are also implicated.

Mathabatha has called for unity.

“The one thing that has truly tested the unity of our Provincial executive committee and the unity of the ANC members in this province is the VBS saga. This issue comrades, must never be used to divide the unity of this province.”

It’s expected that several mayors might get chop when a provincial treasury forensic report is released on Tuesday, next week.

Mathabatha says the party has a right to deploy and redeploy members.