George Mashamba, chairperson of the ANC's integrity commission. (Oupa Nkosi/M&G)
The ANC’s integrity commission has submitted a preliminary report to the party’s national executive committee (NEC) on the governing party’s contentious candidate lists.
A special NEC took a decision almost two weeks ago to refer the lists to the integrity commission after leaders faced criticism on the campaign trail about the dodgy characters the party had included as would-be members of Parliament and provincial legislatures.
George Mashamba, the integrity commission’s chairman, told the Mail & Guardian that the body has examined the lists and provided a report to the NEC for consideration.
This comes after the body of elders had examined the lists at a meeting over the weekend.
Mashamba would not be drawn on what the report entailed or whether the commission had recommended the removal of certain individuals saying the ball was now in the NEC’s court.
The way forward on the report was now up to the structure — though it remains unclear whether the NEC was scheduled to meet before the general election on May 8.
The ANC has come under fire for the list’s inclusion of senior leaders who are implicated in allegations of state capture and corruption. Leaders implicated in testimony delivered before the judicial commission of inquiry into state capture chaired by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo include Nomvula Mokonyane, Mosebenzi Zwane and Malusi Gigaba.
MPs Vincent Smith and Cedric Frolic have also been implicated in bribery allegations before the commission.
On Monday, ANC head of elections Fikile Mbalula told journalists there was still time for the ANC to amend its lists and they were not cast in stone. He said despite the official process by the Electoral Commission of SA closing, the ANC could still ask people to step aside and use the surplus names on its list to replace them.
The IEC objection process has been partially concluded. It announced on Tuesday that it had received 29 objections to the ANC list but all of these were dismissed. The IEC criteria for removal after objections is narrow and limited to whether individuals have a criminal record, have been declared as having an unsound mind or have been declared insolvent.