While the ANC has welcomed the return of its veteran, Mavuso Msimang, who last week made a U-turn about resigning from the party, some political commentators have called this decision into question.
Professor Sipho Seepe told The Star that in spite of the ANC vowing to start acting against its members implicated in the Zondo commission, which was one of the calls made by Msimang in his much publicised resignation letter, this might be impossible.
“We are determined that only members whose reputations are beyond reproach will be included in our list of candidates for Parliament and Provincial Legislatures.
“This means that those implicated by the Zondo Commission will not be included in our lists if their names have not been cleared by the ANC Integrity Commission,” the ANC said in a statement announcing Msimang’s change of heart.
However, Seepe said this promise is “non-sensical” at a number of levels.
“First, the Integrity Committee has failed to act decisively against those who have sullied the reputation of the ANC. It starts with its president on Phala Phala.
“The ANC used its majority to kill the report that was meticulously written by individuals who were chosen by Parliament to investigate the matter. Their report was damning of the president. The matter was covered in all major and influential international newspapers,” Seepe said.
Seepe added that it was impractical to implement this rule in the party that has seen most of its leaders implicated in wrongdoing.
“Second, the Zondo Commission is being challenged in court. The court process takes a long time to conclude. In the meantime, all of us are innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of law.
“Third, the integrity committee is subordinate to the NEC, which is arguably made up of Ramaphosa acolytes. To that extent, it is a toothless structure,” Seepe added.
Seepe added that Msimang’s return to the ANC has weakened his voice and stature as one of the few principled ANC leaders.
“As for Msimang, his flip-flopping has done himself no favour. Many will see him as someone who was desperate for attention, a spoilt brat of sorts that easily gets pleased when given the attention he seeks.
“To that extent, he has weakened his voice, authority, and influence,“ Seepe said.
However, professor Siphamandla Zondi said Msimang’s U-turn should not come as a surprise as it was forced by circumstances which he explained in his resignation letter last week.
“This withdrawal should not come as a surprise because we had heard that he was prevented by the the veterans’ league and other stalwarts of the ANC, who had reached out to him to try to address his issues,” Zondi added.
The Star