South Africa’s ruling African National Congress will “not tolerate any forms of corruption” among its members, President Cyril Ramaphosa warned on Monday.
The president said this when he briefed the media virtually on the outcome of the party’s National Economic Committee (NEC)’s weekend meeting to discuss the issue following his letter last week in which he admonished “the ANC as suspect number one” in corruption.
According to Ramaphosa, the NEC meeting endorsed the letter he wrote last week denouncing any acts of corruption by ANC officials deployed in government.
He said the meeting agreed that ANC cadres, who are formally charged with corruption, would be asked to resign from their positions immediately in keeping with the party’s 2107 party conference resolutions.
In addition, the NEC had decided that corrupt cadres of the ANC would not be allowed any space in government to commit such crimes under the watch of the party, he said.
“NEC also decided that cadres of the ANC who are convicted of corruption or other serious crimes must resign from leadership positions and face disciplinary action in line with the ANC constitution,” Ramaphosa said.
On the question of former president Jacob Zuma’s letter attacking the president for stance against corruption made public just a day before the weekend NEC meeting, Ramaphosa said he had decided to ignore it for a purpose.
“I think it’s important that as leaders, if we are to engage in discussions, we should do it within the confines of our movement (and not in the media),” Ramaphosa said.
Reacting to the NEC’s outcomes of the meeting, opposition United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa said Ramaphosa had taken the right steps to rid the party of corruption.
However, he cautioned that resolutions announced at the party’s NEC briefing were not enough until action was taken on the ground.
Main opposition Democratic Alliance’s interim leader, John Steenhuisen, said it remained to be seen how the president would deal with implicated leaders within the ruling party.
NM/jn/APA