The most thorough review of its public representatives yet could see the African National Congress leadership rejig the provisional electoral lists to exclude the scandal-ridden and troublesome; move more women into higher spots; and increase the representation of the trade unions and the South African Communist Party.
The review, finalised this week, is a first for the ANC and includes a four-stage performance assessment: a self-assessment, the whip’s assessment, and regional leadership and study group chairperson’s report-cards.
The national executive committee has final authority, though the party will reflect at least the top 50 choices of the provincial list conferences.
Where centralism takes over from democracy is when party bosses check the lists against criteria that specifically exclude those who have a ”history of ill-discipline or corruption”. Guidelines drawn up by the party’s national working committee say ANC public representatives must ”be honest, have integrity, not be corruptible and actively fight against corruption”.
If the party is true to its word, Northern Cape provincial minister John Block, fingered for the misuse of public funds to feed a jazz habit, could find himself turfed from top position on the provincial list.
Former Mpumalanga provincial health minister Sibongile Manana, a provincial nominee to the national parliament, could also slip further down the list or be excluded from it. The provincial auditor-general found she squandered funds meant for HIV and Aids programmes, among other abuses of power.
She was shifted sideways to the provincial sport portfolio, and the province is now trying to boot her up to national parliament.
Asked how such candidates had made it on to the lists, an ANC representative said: ”There’s a tendency to close ranks in instances where there are allegations and no proof. [Deputy President] Jacob Zuma and John Block remain popular. That would change if there was a conviction.”
Insiders say that performance review, even though incomplete, has already played a role in deciding who gets onto the list. The final review is likely to affect those in marginal positions ‒ the list conferences always nominate more people than there are places.
The review could also work for MPs ”stranded” when they did not make it onto provincial lists for the National Assembly. An ANC study group chairman said: ”A number of good MPs are stranded. They are either not on the lists or too low down because of provincial perceptions.”
ANC head of the presidency Smuts Ngonyama this week scotched talk of the election of Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as a next deputy president, but it is understood the idea is regularly touted in party ranks.
Many questions hang over Zuma’s suitability for the job, given revelations about the management of his personal finances and the company he keeps. Dlamini- Zuma’s position at number three — the same as she achieved in the national executive committee elections at last year’s ANC conference — can be termed President Thabo Mbeki’s plan B, if the noise around Zuma becomes too loud. There is nothing stopping Mbeki appointing two deputy presidents.
Dlamini-Zuma’s appointment as deputy president would firm up the ANC’s position as one Africa’s most gender-conscious parties, and Mbeki’s modernising reputation. With Seychelles, South Africa has the highest number of women in the Cabinet and Parliament, according to the forthcoming book Ringing up the Changes by Colleen Lowe-Morna.
Mbeki has appointed women to non-traditional portfolios like minerals and energy, the public service and intelligence. With Dlamini-Zuma’s support, he fought traditionalist African leaders to ensure that three of the six commissioners who lead the African Union are female.
Appointing Dlamini-Zuma would also ensure a future president who will carry forward Mbeki’s Africa project. It would assuage the ANC’s gender lobby, which wants the party to move towards the ”zebra principle” — one female for every male representative.
The ANC now follows ”a woman for every two men” principle in drawing up lists.
That the guideline has not been followed to the letter in the provisional lists could result in central intervention. ”It will probably be a case of moving people up, rather than the list committee looking around for women,” said ANC spokesperson Steyn Speed, adding that the 30% gender quota has become ”organic” in the ANC.
Continuing the pre-election spirit of dÃ