Bogus candidates: Irate ANC branches in North West want NEC to intervene in alleged list manipulations

Disgruntled ANC branch members in North West are hoping to have an audience with the party’s national executive committee bto address their concerns about allegations of manipulation of the lists of nominees for parliamentary and provincial legislature candidates for 2024 election.

On Thursday the members protested at Mpekwa House, the ANC provincial office in Mahikeng against what they called the altering of the list containing names of MPL and MP candidates nominated democratically by branches.

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The claimed the names nominated by branches were not included on the final lists made during an extended ANC provincial executive committee meeting.

Spokesperson for the concerned branches, Kefilwe Adindu said instead the names of legitimate candidates had allegedly been replaced with bogus individuals.

They accused the provincial list committee of ignoring the democratic results of nominees produced by branches.

Instead of using the branch generated lists at the extended ANC PEC meeting, the structures that participated in the meeting made some deals among themselves about which candidates to include on the lists.

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“We came together to protest because we are not happy with process followed for the provincial and national nominations.

“All the four regions in North West have issues with the lists that have been submitted because the processes, rules and guidelines have not been followed,” Adindu said.

She said they were also concerned that appeals submitted to the ANC provincial disciplinary committee by branches against exclusion of their nominees were ignored.

Among their complaints were that the altered lists also had individuals with neither matric nor post-matric qualifications, which was against the ANC nomination guidelines required that candidates should have matric plus post-matric qualifications as well as the expertise and or experience, knowledge and skills before being included.

“We noticed that four of those nominated do not have matric and many hold no post matric qualifications nor any skills, knowledge or experience relevant to help ANC in the Legislature or in government.

⁠”The process was completed without conducting interviews as required by the guidelines, ” Adindu said.

Adindu said the lists include one person who was never nominated nor attended the interviews. The branches were also surprised to find two nominees on the lists that were implicated as suspects by the Zondo Commission on State Capture and this was contrary to rules which prohibited those implicated by the Zondo Commission from being nominated as MP and MPL candidates.

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“⁠The list demonstrated no regard of the inherent requirements prescribed in the guidelines adopted by the ANC NEC.

⁠”Whereas the guidance provides that those affected by disciplinary process or having pending appeals against them should be disqualified,” Adindu said.

The branches accused the ANC NEC disciplinary subcommittee of having failed to process appeals for reviews of decisions made by the North West ANC provincial disciplinary committee.

They claimed members of the provincial disciplinary committee had vested interest in the provinces because they were included on the lists secretly without the knowledge of branches.

They said the list was allegedly dominated by factional groupings which undermined unity and cohesion in the party.

The list comprised of members with no history of doing ANC work or involvement in party activism

“⁠The list has been tampered and altered in excess of 20% meant for power of PEC to make adjustments and has been altered in its wholeness.

“It therefore our request that the NEC should make swift redress by validating the NW ANC PLC and Extended PEC processes on the nomination list and correct errors made deliberately or in good faith.

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They asked the ANC NEC to intervene and correct the lists. According to Adindu, they hoped to have an audience with the extended ANC NEC soon, before the list was finalised.

The ANC in the North West has experienced numerous candidate nomination problems since 2011 and during the 2021 local government elections, some unknown councillor candidates were included as candidates on lists to municipalities.

The issue is a subject of court challenge and the ANC had been found to be in the wrong when they included the so-called “parachuted councillors”, some of whom were promoted as mayors, chief whips, and members of the mayoral committee among others.

“We have had many concerns and no redress has been made including from the time of Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma report to the Kgalema Motlanthe committee on rigged processes.

“The ANC has not even responded to concerns on rigged provincial conference which remains the subject of litigations at the Supreme Court of Appeal,” Adindu said.

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