The ANC has hired retired spooks to peruse the bank accounts of more than 800 members nominated to become party candidates, in an attempt to weed out "deployees who are getting salaries from elsewhere".
The would-be candidates were this week made to sign a loyalty pledge and undertake not to campaign against the ANC or support opposition parties should their nominations be turned down by party bosses.
Dakota Legoete, ANC acting national spokesperson, on Friday confirmed retired intelligence operatives were combing through the bank accounts of those nominated to represent the party in parliament and provincial legislatures.
Legoete said the unprecedented vetting was an effort to avoid a situation in which the ANC would be embarrassed should it emerge that it had people on its list who are receiving dodgy payments.
"We see the story of corruption and state capture … and we heard the story of people getting money from [former Bosasa COO Angelo] Agrizzi, so it warrants us to go into detail so we don't get shocked in commissions of inquiry," he said.
The ANC introduced vetting to its selection processes in 2014 with a compulsory questionnaire known as Project Veritas.
But with more and more ANC leaders implicated in allegations of corruption, the party has upped the ante as it faces its toughest electoral contest yet on May 8.
"It is managed by the secretary-general's office and it's not the first time. In 2016 [vetting] was done with councillors. We used retired people from the former ANC intelligence [unit]," Legoete said.
"We do the vetting to avoid embarrassment from the IEC [Independent Electoral Commission] when we submit the lists."
Legoete emphasised that state security agents were not involved in the processes, which involves only retirees from the ANC's own intelligence structures.
It emerged last week that 32 nominees have thus far failed the vetting process.
According to those who attended last Sunday's meeting of the ANC's national executive committee, it was decided that those who have been red-flagged should be allowed to plead their case before the party's top six leaders ahead of intervention by the integrity commission.
The nominees had until Friday to submit responses to a lengthy vetting form that, among other things, asks candidates whether they will allow the party to look over their bank accounts.
They were asked to declare all income and financial expenses to the party, and to declare that they are not an unrehabilitated insolvent, have not been convicted of a criminal offence and have not done anything to bring the ANC into disrepute or cause conflict among ANC supporters.
Besides the strict vetting process, the ANC has made its candidates sign a pledge of loyalty before accepting candidacy to be an ANC representative in the National Assembly or a provincial legislature.
The declaration reads: "I will accept the democratic decisions made during the ANC list process and if my nomination is unsuccessful, I will not support or promote any opposition party.
"I accept the right of the ANC to recall me from parliament or a provincial legislature, even after I have been elected."
Legoete said it is hoped this will help in the event of court challenges over leadership positions...