ANC NEC nominations ‘may change’ says Motlanthe as some shady names top list

The party’s electoral committee has embarked on a first-of-its-kind vetting process in the lead-up to the next month’s national conference. 

Electoral committee chairperson Kgalema Motlanthe on Thursday announced the 200 candidates for the 80-plus seats in the party’s highest decision-making structures between conferences.

Motlanthe stressed the list of nominees may still change. One of the names featuring in the top 10 is Andile Lungisa, despite reports of his suspension by the Eastern Cape provincial ANC structure.

Convicts Mduduzi Manana and Bathabile Dlamini also made the list. 

Manana, who is also made into the top 10, was convicted of assault in 2017, while Dlamini was found guilty of perjury in April this year. 

“Yes, comrade Bathabile Dlamini is on the list and that’s what the branch nominations processes produced. The vetting process will of course disqualify some of the comrades who don’t qualify in terms of the rules," Motlanthe said. 

The ANC electoral committee secretary Livhuwani Matsila explained: "Those that are not allowed to stand will include those who have been criminally charged or found guilty for which the prison sentence is more than six months…and those who have been found guilty by the disciplinary committee or have had their membership suspended in the last 10 years.”

The exclusions include those members who are on temporary suspension pending a court case of disciplinary case within the ANC - among them would be suspended secretary-general Ace Magashule. 

ANC NEC ADDITIONAL MEMBERS TOP 10 NOMINEES LIST: 

1. Sihle Zikalala  (1447)
2. Malusi Gigaba (1366)
3. Mduduzi Manana (1268)
4. David Masondo (1195)
5. Fikile Mbalula  (1192)
6. Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams (1170)
7. Ronald Lamola (1140)
8. David Makhura (1107)
9. Thoko Didiza (1104)
10. Andile Lungisa (1013)

Meanwhile, Motlanthe lamented what he called the trend which made achieving gender parity in the party’s 'top 6' positions difficult.

“Very few male comrades in the ANC see it as their duty to nominate capable female comrades…equally, it is very clear that the women as organised under the women’s league are also not nominating women to positions of leadership,” he said.

The electoral committee chair, however, announced the current list is balanced with a 50/50 representation.

Motlanthe stressed that while only two women made it onto the list of 16 candidates vying for the party’s top jobs, the ANC's 'top 6' in itself is not a structure, and thus the parity rule does not apply. 

VIEW THE LIST OF 200 NEC NOMINEES: