A group of African National Congress (ANC) stalwarts and veterans have penned an open letter to the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), calling on them to ensure that leaders implicated in corruption be brought to book.
This follows the surfacing of allegations on irregularities in tender processes involving, among others, Presidency Spokesperson Khusela Diko, Gauteng Health MEC Dr. Bandile Masuku, and the sons of ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule.
ANC veteran Mavuso Msimang has praised the ANC NEC for their decision to call for names of those implicated in corruption to be submitted to them and for those implicated to step aside.
“Here you are seeing an NEC actually saying this is what we must do and within four weeks there must be a report back on what has been done and take action on what South Africans have been calling for. This is what we are applauding. We are not relying on or expecting these people who have put the name of the organisation into disrepute to step aside themselves – but for the NEC to call for action at that level. If these people fail to remove themselves by order of the NEC, things must be done to them.”
The ANC Veterans’ League says all senior ANC members implicated in corruption have the ethical duty to step aside from their duties pending the outcome of investigations, in order to protect the integrity of the party.
ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule on PPE procurement and corruption:
Justice Minister Ronald Lamola will head a Ministerial Committee that Ramaphosa established to look into allegations of COVID-19 related corruption.
Ramaphosa has also signed a proclamation for the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) to investigate allegations related to the misuse of COVID-19 relief funds.
League President Snuki Zikalala says the party’s Integrity Committee must ensure that ANC members adhere to its resolutions.
“There’s a difference between judicial morality and ethical morality. Ethical morality if there are allegations against an individual or any minister who’s been alleged to be involved in corrupt activities. We as Veteran League and also, of course, the Nasrec resolution state it very clear you don’t have to be charged by a court of law but in the event that whatever you have done impacts on the integrity and dignity of the ANC you must step down, investigated and clear your name. We have to make sure that the integrity committee resolutions are binding,” says Zikalala.
The League has described as “unfortunate” Magashule’s recent claims and has challenged him to provide evidence.
This after Magashule said in a media interview that there wasn’t a single party official that had not done business with the government.
He also claimed that ANC members were using law enforcement agencies to fight battles within the party.
Zikalala adds: “It’s unfortunate what the ANC SG said that there’s not even a single leader of the ANC who has not done business with government. Let him produce those names that’s what he said at our last conference. There were people who were saying that if you talk about the moral ethics of the ANC, a number of people who are members of the ANC members of parliament will have to step down he said so what.”
“Let him point out, let him say these are the leaders of government – these are Cabinet ministers who are involved in tenders these are Cabinet ministers whose kids benefitted out of tenders, let him state that. We are making sure that we reinforce the integrity commission, any member who’s been alleged to be involved in corrupt activities must step down immediately.”
The video below is of analysis on the ANC promising to act against corruption:
