You won’t believe who is back in parliament

The ANC Veterans’ League said yesterday it was disappointed by candidates who appeared on national and provincial representative lists despite their call for those implicated in state capture allegations to step aside.

Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng yesterday oversaw the handing over of the official national and provincial lists of 800 elected representatives in parliament and provincial legislatures.

Among those headed back to the National Assembly were Nomvula Mokonyane, Bathabile Dlamini, Malusi Gigaba and Mosebenzi Zwane, who have all been implicated in corruption allegations heard at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture.

Gigaba and Dlamini were both proved to have lied under oath.

Dlamini’s role as social development minister in the scandal involving government grants agency Sassa and a service provider was brought into question in the Constitutional Court two years ago.

Gigaba’s terms as both finance minister and home affairs minister were mired by allegations that he helped the Gupta family gain citizenship in South Africa, something he has denied.

There’s also the matter of Gigaba’s video which is still a favourite on Pornhub.

Veterans’ league member Dr Faizel Randera said it was unfortunate their bid to appeal to the consciences of candidates individually went unheeded. He said the body would continue to find ways to come to a resolution within the ANC structures.

“If you recall, there was a meeting of the veterans’ league about three weeks or so prior to the elections and that meeting was attended by some 200 people from the veterans’ league. The main message was to say if anybody on that list had a history of being involved in corruption or bringing the organisation into disrepute, let them humbly step aside. Since then we have read in the papers that call was not heeded,” said Randera.

“Our position still remains the same and we will continue discussions with the various structures of the ANC how and what changes can be brought about.”

Mogoeng’s address at the Constitutional Court event echoed the concerns of the veterans’ league, declaring the post-election period as the “time to be more vigilant than ever” against corruption and abuse of power by elected representatives.

“We must be more vigilant than ever before,” was his grave warning. “If there is one thing you must be alive to, it is that power is dangerous. Once you have it, it pushes you to a point where you want to control everybody.”

Meanwhile, presiding officer of the National Council of Provinces, Thandi Modise, said she shared Mogoeng’s concerns.

“If I was in the shoes of the chief justice, given the responsibility to police and protect the Constitution of a dynamic, talkative, inquisitive, demanding country like South Africa, I think I would have said the same thing,” said Modise.

“I think it’s time that we wake up as South Africans and take up our responsibilities, firstly as citizens and secondly as voters, seriously … that we vote for people who will make a change in our lives.”

– simnikiweh@citizen.co.za

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