ANC cleans up disciplinary procedures
2012-12-20 15:24
Bloemfontein - The ANC intends cleaning up disciplinary procedures in its constitution, constitutional affairs sub-committee chairman Collins Chabane said on Thursday.
"It was decided to put up systems to make it more clear for members and disciplinary procedures," he told reporters on the final day of the ANC's national conference in Mangaung.
Financial crimes by an African National Congress member would now feature in disciplinary procedures and lead to an automatic expulsion.
"What the constitution [now] says is if the court finds you guilty of corruption and any finance charges, the result would be expulsion."
Chabane said this would include fraud, theft of money, corruption, money laundering, racketeering and any other unlawful financial transgression decided by a competent court.
ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu added the ANC would deal decisively with people found guilty of financial transgressions.
Chabane said the party had decided to make the ANC's constitution, rules and guidelines accessible to more people.
"Majority of members know the rules and guidelines well... but part of resolution was to speedily make the constitution and guidelines available in all languages."
All the party's critical documentation would be made available in all 11 official languages, and "repackaged" to be more comprehensible.
Chabane said the changes to the constitution would go to the party's national general council, which had the power to amend the document.
He made it clear that the ANC conference had accepted the Constitutional Court's directions in a recent judgment that party members had the right to take the ANC to court.
Committee member Andries Nel said all amendments adopted would apply immediately.
This decision would have a mayor impact on the future of ANC members such as Northern Cape party leader John Block, who was facing fraud and corruption charges in the province.
Referring to legal action against the ANC, Chabane said it was found the party was mostly taken to court over political and administrative issues.
"We want to make sure the processes would be sufficient to have relief in the organisation so that we do not find that courts deal with party administrative and political issues," Chabane said.
The drafting of the new proposals into the ANC constitution would start immediately after Mangaung.
Chabane said the NEC had to approve the changes within six months. The moment they were accepted and approved, they would apply to members.
The new sanctions would not be retroactive, but affect issues currently being handled.
- SAPA
