The ANC was last week accused of violating electoral laws as it allegedly waged a covert smear campaign against opposition parties, aiming to challenge print media’s criticism. The story developed on Monday. ANC general manager Ignatius Jacobs laid a counter legal suit against Sihle Bolani, who exposed the alleged “black-ops” municipal election campaign after she wasn’t paid for work she said her company performed for the party.

While those Bolani said were involved have denied culpability and the ANC has distanced itself from the issue, the claims have seriously tarnished the party’s image. They suggest it is willing to violate the law to win elections, is plagued by rogue elements potentially raising money in the party’s name, regardless of whether they do any work, and, worst of all, the ANC appears either in denial, which would be an insult to the public, or to have no knowledge of what senior employees and well-connected supporters are doing.

Despite the allegations, ANC Secretary-General Gwede Mantashe refused to comment on the matter during a press conference on Monday. He was reporting back after a recent NEC lekgotla meeting and, regardless of the issue’s importance for the future of the party and democracy, compared it to more general workplace issues.

“If there is any development in that process we think we must announce, we will announce it. I think you must respect that,” said Mantashe to questions as to whether Jacobs was facing disciplinary hearings and could be forced to resign. “I am appealing for space to deal with this matter. It’s a serious matter for us.”

Mantashe was outlining the ANC NEC’s commitments for the year, including details on economic growth, accelerated radical socio-economic transformation, land reform, higher education, fighting crime and corruption, and building state capacity. Many of the questions he faced, however, related to the party’s recent controversies and its elective congress, to be held in Gauteng in December.

He played down claims that Brian Molefe could be sent to Parliament, after a weekend report said the ANC in North West was pushing for Molefe to be sent to Cape Town, potentially as a precursor to replacing Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.

Molefe resigned as CEO of Eskom after the former public protector linked him in her State of Capture report to benefits the Gupta family allegedly received from the electricity utility. While Gordhan is currently at blows with the family, Molefe reportedly has good relations with them and other pro-Gupta factions.

“It cannot be a question of how do we feel,” said Mantashe on Molefe’s reported move to Parliament. He outlined the ANC’s processes of nominating and sending members to Parliament. “You don’t wake up one day and say Brian Molefe goes to Parliament and he goes to Parliament. It doesn’t happen like that.”

A key issue Mantashe did make an announcement on was the implementation of a new process for the nomination of candidates for leadership positions at the ANC’s congress later this year. “There will be an electoral commission to say when branches nominate, they must seal the envelope and hand it over to a central place. If we don’t do that, we will have a nomination by slates,” he said.

National structures will approve branch nominations to avoid tampering from regions and provinces, which may favour slates, he said. Slates have recently dominated ANC elections and are already being touted ahead of this year’s congress.

“In line with the 2016 NGC resolution that the branch is the basic unit of the ANC, that slates must be outlawed and that serious action must be taken to prevent and deal with the practice of slate, the NEC resolved do away with the practice of consolidating nominations for leadership at a regional and provincial level. Branches must be given the right to nominate. Consolidation at other levels tampers with the authority of the branches to nominate. All nominations for leadership from branches will be consolidated nationally by the electoral commission,” said the NEC statement.

All ANC members in good standing by the end of April will be able to stand for election and branches will hold meetings in September and October to make nominations ahead of the December elections. The most commonly talked-of slates so far relate to the election of either Cyril Ramaphosa or Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as president.

The latter is seen as tied to the Premier League and defending President Jacob Zuma, while Ramaphosa at this stage only appears to have rallied support on an anti-Zuma agenda. A number of other ANC leaders have also been mentioned as candidates for party president.

On key issues facing the country, the ANC NEC made a number of resolutions which will now be discussed in the upcoming Cabinet lekgotla before the State of the Nation address. While some of the resolutions could make a difference in the development of the country, key questions remain over the ANC’s ability to implement policy and what it can do while it’s distracted by scandals and party in-fighting. DM

Photo: ANC Secretary-General Gwede Mantashe briefed the media after the party’s national executive committee met during its January 2017 lekgotla. Johannesburg, 30 January 2017. (Greg Nicolson)