No one can stand up and say corruption is good: Zweli Mkhize

The ANC’s Zweli Mkhize has condemned party leaders who misuse their power to unashamedly target political opponents through the criminal justice system. 

That was not how the state and party should be run, he said.

Mkhize was speaking at the Victoria Mxenge memorial lecture in Durban on Wednesday night, where he condemned divisions in the party. 

“You need to get rid of factionalism and unite the ANC so that when we say you have done something wrong, you know that your comrade can see it is wrong. There is no hiding behind saying “it's you because of factionalism,” he said. 

“Some comrades have said you can't unite the ANC. Those who are saying so are saying so because of corruption. Actually it is the other way around. If you have an organisation of factions and cabals, it can never create discipline in the party, it can never fight corruption because people are not seen on an equal basis, they are seen as them and us.”

While Mkhize is still under a dark cloud due to alleged corruption in connection with the Digital Vibes contract at the department of health while he was minister, he told ANC members on Thursday “there is no one who can stand up and say corruption is good”.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines after the lecture, Mkhize said he will oblige if elected by branches to stand for a position in the renewed ANC. He said he had “resigned from office to allow the process of the investigation”.

“That process had its own problems and I took the SIU report to court because I believe it is incorrect, therefore that will be proven in a matter of time.”

However, Mkhize emphasised: “It is important to us to say, for all of us, corruption must be fought, it is a curse in the community. But when that issue [arises] there must be one law for everyone — it must be standardised.”

He also revealed allegations of coercion in the nomination processes. 

“We now hear a lot of people who are saying, 'We won't nominate because we hear that we are afraid of this.' Do not let anyone intimidate you. I have spoken to a number of people, some of them in some provinces who feel intimidated. They are worried that they will be followed, investigated.”

Mkhize did not say where the alleged intimidation was coming from or in relation to whose nomination. But he told delegates that when they go to conference, they should bring back “the ANC we knew”.

“The ANC people died not for, an ANC that wants you to die for them — that is what is lacking. Because if we want the ANC to be with the people, it is the ANC that must come back to the people.”

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