South Africa’s ruling party fields election candidates who have faced graft allegations

By GERALD IMRAY
Associated Press

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — South Africa’s ruling African National Congress says that it has disqualified some of its senior officials from being candidates in this year’s election because of long-running corruption allegations, but others also facing accusations were cleared to stand. That has brought more scrutiny on a party that has had its reputation badly eroded by graft. ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula says that six out of 20 of its officials implicated in a commission of inquiry into corruption in South Africa are on its candidate list for the May 29 national and provincial election. The 14 not on the list were either disqualified by the ANC’s integrity committee or were not nominated as candidates.