The reported decision by the ANC's leadership to finally institute disciplinary proceedings against three senior members for their role in State Capture is another sign of how defiantly the party has enabled a culture of non-accountability. It almost defies belief that the party would do this after the elections and not before. The promises that 'this time will be different' ring hollow.

Listen to this article 6 min Listen to this article 6 min Over the weekend, the first reports emerged that the ANC secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, had told the party's Veterans' League that its Integrity Commission would investigate three high-ranking party members, Malusi Gigaba, David Mahlobo and Cedric Frolick.

All three have serious questions to answer after the Zondo Commission's report, but have not yet been legally charged.

advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove adsStrangely, Mbalula has not made any public statement about this so far. Rather, ANC Veterans' League leader Snuki Zikalala is the person who has been quoted in news reports.

Zikalala and his league have been running a campaign for accountability in the ANC, and have long criticised its leadership for allowing people implicated in wrongdoing to represent the party in Parliament.

There is much that is odd about this decision.

First, it is too late. The ANC has known for many years that the perception that it enables corruption has cost it electoral support.

Despite promising, for more than a decade, to act against its corrupt members, the ANC allowed them to represent it as MPs. President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has claimed many, many times...