PRETORIA - ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule on Wednesday faced a barrage of questions from journalists over the inclusion of controversial leaders, including Bathabile Dlamini, Malusi Gigaba, Mosebenzi Zwane and Nomvula Mokonyane, on the candidates list submitted to the IEC ahead of the May 8 general elections.
"You are talking about people who have never been charged. Why do you want to single out people because they are there in the media? Why don't you respect the universal principle...[of innocent until proven guilty]. Why do you want to deal with Nomvula, for what?" Magashule responded to the journalists at Election House in Centurion.
"So you want us as politicians to remove anyone from our list because of allegations?"
Magashule said there are some ANC members "who have said we are not fit to be on the list".
"There are people who could not make it because of allegations, but because the courts of law had judgments against them," said Magashule.
Magashule was leading a delegation of the governing party at the IEC submitting the candidate lists for the National Assembly, and provincial legislatures.
The ANC said its national list committee finalized its work and submitted its lists within the prescribed deadlines as determined by the IEC.