ANC should not use Parliament as dumping ground for corrupt leaders 

The ANC Secretary General, Gwede Mantashe's insistence that the party will not withdraw candidates nominated for Parliament despite facing corruption charges reaffirms that Zuma's ANC is not serious about the fight against corruption.

If anything Mr Mantashe should stop misleading South Africans by claiming to be against this crime, when his party's actions run contrary to this. It is both hypocritical and disingenuous, and is a slap in the face for every South African who suffers as a result of it. 

The ANC  has, on their own internal report on implementation of government priorities, admitted to having failed on 'rooting out corruption, reducing unemployment, and narrowing the gap between the poor and the rich' yet they are sending corrupt candidates to Parliament. It is clear that this is a party that has absolutely no political will to fix what is wrong with our country.

Fortunately, South Africans will see through this smokescreen. They know that Mr Mantashe has sat idly by while over R200 million of public money was spent on President Zuma's private residence in Nkandla. They will know also that Mr Mantashe has done nothing to ensure that President Zuma answers for over 700 charges of corruption against him.

The DA - with a diverse and talented list of candidates for Parliament - will do everything possible to protect the institution from being undermined by the ANC's complete disregard for it and its treatment as a dumping ground for the corrupt.  

In the DA the process of selecting candidates for Parliament is a crucial one. As a party we ensure that our pool of candidates is filled with people who demonstrate a commitment to serving their country and those who treat public service as a vocation, not a career. 

Through every mechanism available to us, we will continue to ensure that there is real accountability and that all those who steal from the people - including those at the very top - are made to answer to South Africa.

Indeed, while the ANC condones corruption, we will fight it fearlessly and end it.

Statement issued by Lindiwe Mazibuko MP, DA Parliamentary Leader, January 27 2014

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