POLOKWANE – Limpopo accounts for the most complaints countrywide relating to the suspected rigging of candidate lists, with nominees to assume Provincial Legislature and National Assembly positions in representation of the ANC after the election.

Other provinces where the issue was prevalent, include KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and the North West, ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula said on Sunday at a media briefing.

He said he was among the executives that await a report from the province’s officials about the complaints and that the National Working Committee resolved to investigate the matter, albeit not forensically.

In one prominent case, member of parliament Boy Mamabolo challenged the omission of his name on the list of candidates nominated for the National Assembly through internal channels and escalated the matter to court on an urgent basis.

Read more: Pretoria High Court dismisses Boy Mamabolo’s urgent application

At the time, the party defended the Provincial List Committee’s decision in court to say that Mamabolo did not qualify for such a position after he failed to submit certain qualifications. The court ruled that it was not an urgent matter.

Mbalula himself also defended his name against claims that as party secretary, he had a hand in the alleged manipulation of lists.

“My job was to ensure the list was submitted on time and that is what I did. Things have recently changed and secretaries no longer sit on committees for list compilations. We have a list committee led by Thembi Majola, who is responsible for that even at provincial level,” he remarked.