Days after the announcement of the final list of 200 nominees for the National Executive Committee (NEC), the party’s highest decision-making body between conferences, 16 party members have lodged a formal complaint over discrepancies in the integrity of the process that saw them get the nod. 

Daily Maverick has seen a notice of objection addressed to the party’s electoral committee, chaired by Kgalema Motlanthe, expressing discontent with the final list of the nominees for election as NEC members when the party goes to its elective conference in nine days.   

The 16 members in good standing argue that the processes leading up to the final lists were not transparent and unfair. As a result, they demand the party discloses the total number of branch nominations received by each candidate, including the branches which nominated them, as a matter of urgency.

The group has also argued that the processes leading up to the list released on 1 December 2022 were prone to manipulation and corruption.   

“The fact that we are using an electoral college system that is easily manipulated through influencing a core of influential people, like branch, regional and provincial secretaries, who manage the membership and deployment system. This makes our democratic process vulnerable to corruption by business, internal factions and outside interests,” the group states in papers submitted to the committee.     

Daily Maverick has learnt that all the 16 complainants are from different branches and provinces but all are nominees who lost their bid to be elected as NEC members. They claim to have been elected not only by their respective branches but other branches.  

They include Lulu Johnson, former MP who between 2014-2019 served as a chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation, Mogomotsi Mogodiri who is an ex-MK combatant and a media specialist in the city of Johannesburg, and Dr Issac Mashaba, from ward 30 in Johannesburg.

It is the second time that the committee has received a complaint of this nature. ANC presidential hopeful Lindiwe Sisulu, in a letter, dated 24 November 2022, claimed her name was excluded from the candidates who met the 25% threshold for the presidential race, even though her campaign team had information that she received enough branch nominations, The Citizen reported.  

Meanwhile, the group said, “currently there are many discrepancies noted by discontented members over the integrity of the process, in particular branch members who were campaigning for certain candidates and engaged with branches, wherein the candidates were nominated and the EC has not been transparent regarding what became of those nominations.”

The list announced by Motlanthe, saw former ANC KwaZulu-Natal chair Sihle Zikalala make a big comeback, having been the most nominated by ANC branches, with 1,447 votes. This comes after a ruthless defeat in his bid to serve as a provincial leader for a third term, and not garnering enough support to be a part of the provincial executive.  

ANC’s NEC nomination list peppered with young(ish) contenders, controversial characters and RET leaders

Others in the top 10 most popular ANC leaders include former ANC Gauteng chair David Makhura, the organisation’s Renewal Commission chair Thoko Didiza, Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola and SA Communist Party second general secretary David Masondo, Daily Maverick reported.  

Visit Daily Maverick’s home page for more news, analysis and investigations

Most notably, the list features leaders with controversial backgrounds including the likes of NEC members Malusi Gigaba and Mduduzi Manana. 

The group of 16 has urged the committee to respond to its demands as a matter of urgency, failing which they would escalate the matter ahead of the national conference.  

“The NC (National Conference) is the conference of the branches, as such and the highest decision of the body. Branches are therefore entitled to be provided the information demanded.

  “It is respectfully prayed for that this matter be afforded the urgency it deserves and serious decorum fitting to members of the organisation as the much pronounced renewal hinges on demonstrable commitment to the principles of democratic transparency in organisational processes and in particular the election of fitting leadership.

“The objectors and nominees sincerely hope that this matter may be resolved at this level, and that there will be no further need to escalate, but where such is compelled due to how the matter is handled by yourselves, there shall be no hesitation towards achieving a just relief,” it said in a statement.  

Daily Maverick has seen the committee’s response to the complaint acknowledging the notice of objection, in which secretary of the committee Chief Matsila says the process of finalising the acceptance or decline of nominations and vetting of candidates was underway. 

“We shall, within this week, furnish the provincial offices with the consolidated nominations for their records.  

“We, therefore, request that you wait for that process of publishing the full outcomes of the nomination process to be completed so that you can access the information required.”  

Matsila also said the committee had noted the concern around dispute resolution processes and promised that the committee would furnish them with a substantive response as soon as possible.  

The group further argued that without the demanded information, “it cannot be said that the process leading up to the selection of the 200 nominees on the list for elections was free and fair” and that the unfairness naturally extends to the outcomes of the Nasrec conference.

“Finding expression in the NC (National Conference) has been well thought out and the objectors are of the firm view that regard being had to the days allocated for conference business, it is in the best interests that this matter finds the appropriate attention and redress prior thereto as it is difficult to conclude that failure thereto will not put the NC in jeopardy, which will not serve the greater good.”

Speaking to Daily Maverick, Mashaba, said they were confident that enough branches had endorsed them and as a result were seeking the raw data of the top 200 nominees to prove it. If they get the data they seek, and prove their suspicions, Mashaba said they would take further steps and would exhaust all avenues in order to get justice.

“We have the support of our branches even though other branches were sharing with us information on how they would vote. We know how many branches voted for us for example here in Gauteng and Limpopo, we know each other.  

“We heard comrade Kgalema Motlanthe saying this is the final list of nominees that have been vetted and have taken into consideration gender parity. We are saying it is fine, because you have made that announcement, provide us with the raw data, so that we can agree on what transpired and how. From thereon we can decide on our next move.  

Reacting to the response from the committee, Mashaba said, “they are saying they are still auditing yet they’ve already announced the top 200, I don’t understand how that’s possible,” said Mashaba. DM