ANC demands financial disclosure, fair play from members gunning for NEC posts
Individuals nominated for top positions in the ANC will have to disclose their financial records ahead of the party's 55th elective conference next month.
Briefing the media on Friday, ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe confirmed the 70% threshold for branch general meetings that are required for the conference to take place has been met. He outlined the findings and recommendations of the electoral committee which is led by Kgalema Motlhanthe.
“Comrade Kgalema has already written to the acting secretary general comrade Paul Mashatile and all our provinces and branches effectively outlining important principles of disclosures – which we have deliberated on as the NEC – that this will be in compliance with the rules of the 55th national conference,” he said.
Mabe says members who are campaigning to be nominated for national executive committee (NEC) positions are directed to keep a record of all donations which must then be submitted to the electoral commission.
“All campaigns must submit detailed financial records to the electoral committee. The committee has the right to demand further particulars and to inspect bank statements of candidates and campaign workers and to interview members of campaign teams.”
Mabe elaborates on the electoral committee’s findings and recommendations on the conduct of members and candidates ahead of the #ANCConference. Disclosures, as well as “negative campaigning” are some of the issues he touches on pic.twitter.com/VXQIQpVJ3D
— Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) November 4, 2022
The move is said to be a bid to avoid a repeat of the so-called ‘CR17 bank statements’ debacle, that saw Cyril Ramaphosa and the organisation dragged to court for failing to disclose donations for their 2017 campaigns.
Mabe stressed that the failure to abide by these rules would amount to serious misconduct that could lead to implicated persons being subjected to disciplinary processes or being disqualified from the race and possibly expulsion from the party.
He says the electoral committee had also observed acts of ‘negative campaigning’ where nominees slated their competitors, which is in violation of the party’s rules. He said such candidates could be shown the door, following disciplinary processes against them
“Any candidate whose campaign supporters participate in such activities must condemn the action of their supporters and may be disqualified if they do not make a strong effort to end this abhorrent behaviour.”
Mabe also condemned reports of violence and BGMs, specifically in Mpumalanga, where one person was killed, and two others were wounded during a branch meeting last month.
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