Speaking after the conclusion of an in-house African National Congress (ANC) meeting last week, the party’s Secretary General, Fikile Mbalula, said that the work of the Madlanga Commission [that is investigating allegations of corruption and political interference in policing] demonstrates how seriously his party acts to oppose corruption.

According to Mbalula, his party was working hard to: “restore public safety, create jobs, and reduce household pressures and intensify the fight against corruption”.

Mbalula said that the ANC fully supports the Madlanga Commission, saying that: “the commission is evidence of the ANC’s fight against corruption and maladministration.” He said that all the party members implicated by the commission would be granted the opportunity to clear their names in line with his party’s values.

On the question of Tembisa Hospital (where over R2 billion was looted according to a recent report from the Special Investigating Unit) Mbalula said there had been: “disturbing patterns of procurement irregularities and criminality”. He said his party welcomed the fact that this corruption had been exposed. He said that the Tembisa example showed how well state institutions were doing in uncovering: “wrongdoing and hold[ing] perpetrators accountable”.

The ANC, he said, “will continue to support law enforcement agencies and Parliament in ensuring that those implicated face the full might of the law”.

Political analysts say that the ANC has for years used investigations and commissions to try and deflect and assuage public anger at corruption whilst being careful not to take any real action against senior party leaders who have been implicated. A concern within the ANC is that the extent to which corrupt networks have accessed the party is so great that any attempt to drive a series of senior prosecutions would bring about the collapse of the party.