By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
A member of the African National Congress (ANC) from eThekwini region has written to the party’s electoral committee chaired by Kgalema Motlanthe asking it to probe alleged use of money to buy delegates.
Among those the member believe should be probed is Cyril Ramaphosa, Gwede Mantashe and Benjani Chauke.
Mantashe has admitted live on television that he knew of people who were buying votes or using money to influence the election of officials during the 2022 ANC national elective conference.
The conference started on December 16 and concluded on Tuesday, with a new crop of Top 7 officials elected and announced.
Ramaphosa was re-elected as ANC president, beating Zweli Mkhize with 2476 votes to 1897 votes.
4 384 votes were cast, with two confiscated ballots because those voters were caught taking photographs of their ballots and they were reported to the police and upon realising that the may end up with criminal records, they offered to revoke their voting status, said Motlanthe.
Mantashe revealed that he was asked to pay R100 000 in exchange for 40 votes at the party’s elective conference held in Nasrec.
He denounced the use of money to bribe delegates at ANC conferences, saying “it’s a serious matter.”
“If there’s one battle that we almost lost, it was the battle and fight against money. In the past, we had this thing that money is used and so forth.
“This time around you have people at branch level and regional level phoning you: ‘I have this number of delegates, please give me so much money’, “said Mantashe, using general terms.
Mantashe was asked about the money Ramaphosa used in his re-election campaign.
“I’m not sure, I think he scaled down this year. Last time he was in trouble about that. But today it was more complex because it was widespread.
“For example, there was a man who was campaigning for treasurer-general. He worked in the office of the president. We raised our concerns.
“This person is in your office; he is going around buying votes, please deal with that issue”.
“Fortunately, or unfortunately, he is not elected treasurer-general of the ANC, but if you go around displaying money, it is the worst way of dealing with things.
The treasurer-general position was contested by Ekurhuleni chairperson Mzwandile Masina, national spokesperson Pule Mabe, Gwen Ramokgopa and Chauke.
Ramokgopa won with 1 809 votes.
The electoral committee at that time said it was not aware of the media utterances by Mantashe, and he has not reported the matters to the electoral committee.
“The electoral committee only deals with disputes or complaints which are submitted formally and supported by tangible evidence. We therefore wish to caution all leaders and members of the ANC to refrain from making unsubstantiated allegations of vote buying or irregularities,”said committee secretary Chief Luvhuwani Matsila.
However the electoral body has promised to investigate the allegations, and also afford those accused an opportunity to respond.