ANC SG Ace Magashule said the party had conducted difficult conversations with a number of candidates who had voluntarily stepped aside in the best interests of the organisation. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
The ANC has included leaders implicated in allegations of state capture in its parliamentary lists for the May 8 national and provincial elections.
On Wednesday, the party’s lists for the National Assembly, National Council of Provinces and the nine provincial legislatures were submitted to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) by an ANC delegation headed by Magashule.
In response to questions from the media, Magashule said ANC leaders and sitting and former government ministers implicated in allegations of state capture — including Nomvula Mokonyane, Mosebenzi Zwane and Malusi Gigaba — who had made it to the list would remain.
“We have looked at what the law says. You are talking about people who have not been charged with any offence. Why do you want to single out people?” Magashule said.
The list of 867 had been trimmed down to 300, with people being removed “because a court of law had given judgement against them”.
ANC secretary general Ace Magashule confirmed that only candidates who had criminal records for offences which barred them from taking up their seats had been excised from the list.
Those found guilty of offences but sentenced to less than 12 months in jail or a handed a fine were still on the list.
“They are all on the list. Anybody who has not been found guilty in a court of law is still on the list,” he said.
“The mere mention of wrongdoing and corruption by an individual does not make that person guilty unless due process is followed,” the ANC secretary general explained.
Magashule said the ANC had conducted “difficult conversations” with a number of candidates who had “voluntarily stepped aside in the best interests of the organisation”.
Magashule said he was ‘’not sure’’ that including the names of those accused of corruption would hurt the ANC on May 8.
‘’I’m not sure. We are on the ground campaigning and people understand the ANC,’’ he said.
Magashule added that President Cyril Ramaphosa had been number one on the list, followed by his deputy, David Mabuza and ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe. The fourth spot on the list was taken by Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. Magashule had been returned at number five, with six and seven occupied by his deputy, Jessie Duarte, and ANC treasurer, Paul Mashatile respectively.
The three would not take up seats as they are full-time party officials.