JOHANNESBURG (Sapa) - The African National Congress is keeping some of its leaders from serving in Parliament after the election to strengthen the party's headquarters, secretary general Gwede Mantashe said on Tuesday.
"You will notice that there will be few NEC [National Executive Committee] members who do not go to Parliament because we are putting a lot of emphasis and importance on actually keeping the ANC running," he said.
Mantashe said a number of key "functions" had been identified and the people fulfilling them for the organisation would remain at the party's Chief Albert Luthuli House headquarters in central Johannesburg.
"Everyone wants to be on the list and there are going to be people who are going to be told in the ANC that 'we know that you want to go on the list, but sorry you are not going to go on the list, you must remain in Chief Albert Luthuli house so that we can run the organisation together'.
"[B]ecause a weak ANC translates into weak governance, a strong ANC translates into strong governance because when the ANC is vibrant it can call upon ministers to account," Mantashe told a media briefing in Sandton, Johannesburg.
Mantashe, his deputy, Thandi Modise and treasurer general Mathews Phosa would not have seats in Parliament and would remain at Luthuli House, he said.