What are your criteria?
Whoever the party brings must not have a criminal record.
Are there other criteria?
A person must not have been found guilty by the national disciplinary committee. There must not be issues between you and the ANC in relation to conduct. You must not be a divisive figure. There must be no integrity or reputation question marks about you as an office bearer or executive member or ordinary member. We want people who are electable, not only to the ANC but in the eyes of the voter.
Who'll do the vetting?
The national list committee, led by the secretary-general.
Is it a problem that he is facing serious allegations of corruption?
Is there a case number?
Will those implicated in state capture pass your integrity test?
The issue of state capture is incomplete, the procedure is still proceeding, the judge is still presiding. It would be very premature of us to draw conclusions on a matter that is incomplete.
So those implicated in state capture will not be disqualified?
They can't be disqualified because there is no ruling. SA is a constitutional democracy. The court is the final arbiter. So far the commission, which is an equivalent of the court, has not made a ruling, or a finding or a recommendation. It would be very remiss of the ANC, just on the basis of what has been presented as evidence, to draw conclusions and punish comrades.
Will those who have lied under oath pass your test of integrity?
Like who?
Malusi Gigaba and Bathabile Dlamini?
That's a matter we still have to deal with internally. I'm not in a position to say anything.
Do people like that enhance the integrity of the ANC?
No, ethically speaking and integrity-wise, no. If somebody who is an executive or a public office bearer lies under oath that is a serious offence in a democracy.
So everyone on the list must enhance the integrity of the ANC?
That is correct. It's in the constitution that any one of us must conduct ourselves in a manner according to the laws of the country and the processes of governance.
But you say [for] those implicated in state capture, in evidence given under oath to the Zondo commission, this will not count against them?
We can't encourage our members and leaders to appear before the commission and then, when they do that, we take action against them even when the process is incomplete. That would be unfair.
Won't it be difficult to appeal to the voters if you've got people who've been discredited on your list?
There's nobody so far that Judge Zondo has said, this person's credibility is poor. But equally it's up to the members out of their own conscience to say "I think there's too much of a cloud over my head, let me not overburden the ANC", and to decline nomination.
You're hoping they will look to their consciences?
They will. These are revolutionaries, not just ordinary people...