The published list of ANC members elected to the party’s highest decision-making body shows that they are far from ridding themselves of Zuma’s legacy of cronyism, corruption and state capture.
The list includes the following high profile individuals with less than savoury track records:
- Tony Yengeni – a man with a history of criminal charges and convictions against his name, including one for fraud.
- Mduduzi Manana – recently convicted of three counts of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
- Collen Maine – self-appointed Supreme Leader of the Gupta Brigade.
- Bathabile Dlamini – the architect of the SASSA crisis that jeopardized the social benefits of 17 million South Africans.
- Bongani Bongo – currently facing allegations of attempting to bribe the evidence leader in the Eskom inquiry into State Capture.
- Faith Muthambi – notorious for nepotism and gross mismanagement of various portfolios.
- Pule Mabe – embroiled in improper tender scandals and benefits at PRASA.
- Sylvia Lucas – a figure of controversy during her tenure as Premier of the Northern Cape with a habit of spending huge amounts of public money on fast food.
The unashamed inclusion of these names in the new National Executive Committee shows that the ANC’s promises of self-correction were a myth. Newly elected President of the party, Cyril Ramaphosa, built his campaign on the idea that cutting the head off the snake will kill it, but instead the snake has simply shed its skin.
That the above listed individuals, and others on the list, can not only avoid accountability for their actions, but can be rewarded with decision making power within the ruling party, shows that the ANC cannot, or will not self-correct. South Africans must take matters into their own hands in 2019 and shed themselves of the ANC in favour of a multi-party coalition government with democratic principles as their foundation.