ANC reveals names of parliamentary leaders

The ANC has unveiled the names of members it wants to be whips, house chairpersons and committee chairs in Parliament, and notably, a number of members of Parliament who were implicated in alleged wrongdoing have been nominated.

These include Bongani Bongo, accused of attempting to bribe the evidence leader in Parliament’s inquiry into state capture at Eskom, nominated for the Home Affairs committee.

Mosebenzi Zwane is up for the Transport committee.

Former North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo is up for the tourism committee, Faith Muthambi for the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Committee, while Sfiso Buthelezi is nominated for the Standing Committee on Appropriations.

Asked about the calibre of some of those nominated, ANC chief whip Pemmy Majodina said people appeared before the party’s integrity commission and were cleared. She said until proven guilty by a court of law, they were innocent.

The process had been delayed amid reports of behind-the-scenes tussling over the list of names.

The alliance secretariat met on Tuesday after the Sunday Times reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa had to step in to avert a “parliamentary coup” by party secretary-general Ace Magashule.

At this afternoon’s announcement, Magashule insisted the process had been rigorous and the men and women nominated would steer Parliament along the “correct path”.

The list appears to be a compromise aimed at satisfying different factions within the ANC.

Former Justice Committee chairperson Mathole Mothshekga is up to head the ad hoc committee tasked with amending the Constitution to explicitly allow for the expropriation of land without compensation.

Cedrick Frolick returns to the powerful position of Chair of Chairs, for which Nomvula Mokonyane was chosen before she decided to step down as an MP.