'Beyond every crook, there is a political figure' - Mbalula

African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula said that state institutions cannot be allowed to fail, warning that the country would be doomed if internal controls were not tightened.

Mbalula made the comments at a branch general meeting in Liliesleaf in Rivonia on Sunday.

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He said that poor management, corruption and political interference were among the issues that continued to contribute to institutional decay.

Mbalula said the ANC needed to introspect, taking a swipe at some party members who were allegedly linked to corruption in the high-profile case of Vusimusi "Cat" Matlala, who landed a dodgy R360 million police health services tender.

"Somebody goes there, wins a tender of R360 million. That person is not a member of the ANC. This person, struggle credentials and the ANC dololo. These tenders will never flourish if they don’t have some connections with us who wield political power. Beyond every crook, there is a political figure."

If left unresolved, Mbalula said that weak state institutions would further derail the country’s development goals and compromise service delivery.

"Once the rule of law and the state is weakened, forget... you are on a big highway to Banana Republic."