ANC NEC Divided Over Parliament List Exclusions Amid State Capture Allegations

Under the long shadows of the State Capture allegations, high-rung ANC members find themselves at a pivotal crossroads. The National Executive Committee (NEC), in a lengthy session extending to the early hours, grappled with the weighty report concerning Malusi Gigaba, David Mahlobo, Zizi Kodwa, and Cedric Frolick. The recommendation: these members stand ineligible to serve as members of the National Assembly.

This tumultuous development follows investigative conclusions by a specialized Integrity Committee, piloted by Frank Chikane. The nucleus of their disapproval stems from implicated narratives disclosed by the State Capture inquiry, which remains a stinging indictment of corruption and malfeasance.

The inquiries unearthed particularly troubling findings. Gigaba, an NEC member, and Mahlobo, Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, skirted necessary clearance by bypassing the Integrity Committee's review, thereby landing on the list. The absence of their appearance before the committee signaled a breach in the party’s ethics—that was enough for a red flag.

The overnight discussions illuminated other party members who, while implicated, escaped the spotlight, possibly due to the absence from the party's electoral nomination list, a twist compounded by falsified leaks of the list, which momentarily placed Gigaba, Mahlobo, and Kodwa back into the parliamentary fray.

The fracturing reports, which mandated submissions to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) by 5pm on Friday, opened Pandora's box within the party.

The hushed whispers of those implicated spoke volumes: Zizi Kodwa stood accused of benefiting suspect transactions involving personal loans from Jehan Mackay, ex-director of EOH, arousing suspicions of influence peddling in tender procedures. David Mahlobo allegedly dipped his hands into the cookie jar of judicial corruption while serving as State Security Minister. Cedric Frolick got entangled in Bosasa affiliations, as the Zondo report accused him of dubious maneuvers advantageous to the company.

On the counterfoil, a notch of clearance was awarded to ANC notables including Gwede Mantashe, Thabang Makwetla, Zweli Mkhize, who unfurled from their own contendership with the Integrity Committee. Meanwhile, Cyril Ramaphosa emerged unscathed regarding theft allegations at his Phala Phala wildlife farm.

The bones of contention materialized vividly within the NEC, pushing the members into a wrestling match over the moral versus practical consequences of excluding the implicated four. Questions arose: Is it just to sideline them without formal charges? Could this shear the fabric of party unity and dim the campaign beacon, especially with predictions of a sub-50% election result looming?

Debating the step-aside rule's criteria against allegations of State Capture spawned a multifaceted challenge for the ANC. Those technically exempt from criminal charges by the National Prosecuting Authority found themselves nonetheless staring down the barrel of the Integrity Committee's judgments.

As the split screened into the public domain, it was clear that procedural transgressions were under dispute: many NEC members claimed to be kept in the dark about the bulk of Integrity Committee revelations. The committee's integrity hung in the balance, paradoxically.

Despite unease and potential chasm, ANC's top brass will have the decisive word. In the aftermath of their list conference, and with input from alliance partners, a list ascended the echelons of decision-making. The 7 March deadline ticked, the IEC awaited, and the nation's polity held its collective breath.

Reflecting on the fracas, ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri on Friday acknowledged the dilemma but steered clear of details. However, a subsequent briefing would shed more light on the opaque quandary, announced with Fikile Mbalula and Kgalema Motlanthe poised to articulate the findings and resolutions; clarities, or possibly more shadow-play, were only a press conference away.