Former North West MEC for Agriculture Mahlomola ”Jomo” Khasu, who quit the provincial cabinet last year after allegations that he misused a government credit card, got a resounding nod from the African National Congress in the province last weekend.
Khasu received the fourth-highest number of votes on the North West ANC’s list for the party’s national executive committee (NEC), to be elected at the national conference next month.
Khasu allegedly used the credit card to buy personal items worth more than R68 000. The matter was apparently raised at the ANC’s provincial general council at the weekend, but members felt that he had not yet been convicted and so the allegations should not be held against him.
Former ANC parliamentary chief whip Tony Yengeni, who faces corruption and fraud charges, just failed to make it on to the North West list. But he appears on the lists of Gauteng and Free State, which were also completed at the weekend.
Thandi Modise, chairperson of the parliamentary defence committee, received the highest number of votes in North West, followed by controversial ANC Women’s League president Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
Three South African Communist Party officebearers in the NEC — SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande, his deputy Jeremy Cronin and treasurer Phillip Dexter — also made it on to the North West list.
Dexter, however, was not nominated by the Free State, which listed two names for the deputy secretary general’s position: the incumbent, Thenjiwe Mtintso and Minister of Housing Sankie Mthembi-Mahanyele.
The ANC Women’s League’s growing deference towards ANC national leaders, illustrated by its attack on the union movement’s anti-privatisation strike in October, is further underscored by its NEC nominations. It has reportedly not included Nzimande, Cronin or Dexter.
Barbara Masekela, chairperson of the ANC electoral commission, said this week that the consolidated list of all nominees would be circulated to party structures shortly before the national conference. She said the electoral rules allowed further nominations from the floor at the conference.
Masekela said that the commission would announce the new NEC on December 20.
KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape are the only provinces that must still approve their lists of nominees.