ANC stalwarts and veterans believe Pandora's Box has been opened

The ANC group of stalwarts and veterans believe South Africa’s Pandora’s Box has been opened. 

“No one can now argue that they cannot see the evil that existed within‚” the group said in a statement on Thursday.

“Those who have been involved in corruption and have discredited the ANC cannot continue to argue that these are matters that can only be resolved behind closed doors without public scrutiny.”

The stalwarts said the public does not see the “crisis” the minority within the ruling party faces.

“We would like to believe we speak on behalf of all members of the ANC who reject corruption.”

They believe the work done by public relations firm Bell Pottinger for the Gupta company Oakbay has “caused significant damage to race relations within South Africa and have been part of efforts to deflect attention from the unacceptable levels of corruption that have become endemic within many parts of our economy”.

The stalwarts welcomed the Public Relations and Communications Association’s decision to expel Bell Pottinger for a minimum of five years.

They said the law firm Herbert Smith Freehills’ investigation report is “carefully worded as one would expect as the investigation was commissioned by Bell Pottinger”.

“It allows ‘spin’ that the work was undertaken by a rogue team; an excuse more akin to the deniability of a bungled illegal state intelligence agency operation than that of an international public relations company.”

The stalwarts said they want to participate in a national consultative conference.

“The National Consultative Conference will potentially be an important part of helping to restore the legitimacy of the ANC which was clearly seen in the support of our citizens in the struggle against apartheid; the introduction of our constitutional democracy and the first democratic elections.”