ANC officials charged with graft must step aside

The ANC's national executive committee (NEC) decided at a weekend meeting that party officials formally charged with corruption and other serious crimes must step aside from their posts, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday.

The ANC has been buffeted in recent weeks by reports of graft during the coronavirus crisis, with investigators probing irregularities in government tenders worth R5bn.

Ramaphosa, who replaced scandal-plagued Jacob Zuma as ANC leader more than two-and-a-half years ago, has staked his reputation on rooting out graft but has found it hard to make much progress given deep divisions in his fractured party.

But, stung by allegations of graft during the Covid-19 pandemic, Ramaphosa wrote to ANC members earlier in August saying its “leaders stand accused of corruption” and that the ANC “does stand as accused number one”.

Ramaphosa said at a briefing  on Monday that the party's NEC also decided that officials convicted of corruption should resign from leadership positions.

The ANC will put in place a mechanism for leaders to make regular declarations of financial interests, and guidelines will be developed on ANC leaders and their families doing business with government and public entities, Ramaphosa added.

Reuters