NELSPRUIT – After delaying its party list conference twice, the ANC eventually met on Monday to finalise its lists. It was expected that the party would announce its candidate lists on Tuesday, but this was delayed.
Mr Gwede Mantashe, secretary-general of the ANC, said the party will make its lists public once the election date has been announced. It is expected to be announced by the president Mr Jacob Zuma after the voter-registration period closes on
February 8 and 9.
During the previous general elections in 2009, it also made its lists public once the election date had been set.
Mantashe was speaking during a press briefing on Tuesday and confirmed only that ANC president Mr Jacob Zuma and deputy president Mr Cyril Ramaphosa, were at the top of the national list of each province.
He said that among the obstacles were that the three regional secretaries from Mpumalanga reportedly wanted to go to parliament, a matter that was allegedly being appealed.
Mr Sibobiso Themba, spokesman for the Mpumalanga ANC, was confused as to why secretaries, who were in permanent paid positions, would appeal to go to parliament, despite the party’s rules preventing staffers from holding political positions.
Since the ANC disbanded its Nkangala region in July, only three remain. Mr Pat Ngomane, Mr Zakhele Masilela and Mr Mandla Ndlovu are the regional secretaries of the Ehlanzeni, Gert Sibande and Bohlabela regions respectively.
“The individual candidates should be members with good standing,” Mantashe said during the press conference. He
added that the lists compiled during the provincial list conferences last year and national meeting on Monday, also still had to be cleaned before being made public. He also said active serving councillors would not be allowed on the list, which would avoid municipal by-elections.
