Johannesburg - As the 55th ANC conference kicks off on Friday at Nasrec Expo Centre, allegations of voting-buying by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s lobbyists have surfaced.
A delegate from OR Tambo region in Eastern Cape told Independent Media he was approached by a group led by two Cabinet ministers known to be aligned with the president and offered him R20 000 cash to vote for the president's slate.
The two ministers are known to Independent Media.
The delegate, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the group came to the registration centre and spoke to several delegates in the queue, but when they came to him with an offer, he refused.
The delegate, who said he supported Dr Zweli Mkhize, said the group even gave him the line-up which included the president, Ronald Lamola for deputy president position, Fikile Mbalula and Febe Potgieter for secretary-general and deputy secretary-general positions.
“There is a group here led by ministers (mentioning them by name) and we know they are key members of the CR22 cabal. They attempted to buy delegates for R20 000 each and attempted me as well, which I vehemently refused, as I care for a country more than monetary benefits,” said the delegate.
Furthermore, he said the group was de-campaigning Paul Mashatile and pushing Lamola to be elected to the deputy president’s position alongside the president.
During the media briefing earlier on Friday, ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe urged delegates to report vote-buying or other unbecoming behaviour to the conference steering committee. He urged the particular delegates to come forward and report those people who offered them bribes.
Under Ramaphosa’s slate, Lamola competes for the deputy president’s position with Mashatile and current Eastern Cape chairperson Oscar Mabuyane.
Former KZN chairperson Senzo Mchunu is also in the running and is expected to be nominated from the floor. Mashatile also appears on Dr Mkhize’s slate. Also under the president, Potgieter competes with Nomvula Mokonyane for deputy secretary-general position, but Mokonyane has clarified that she was in Mkhize's camp.
Rumours of money being thrown to delegates surfaced earlier in the week when it emerged a key Ramaphosa man was carrying a stash of cash to ‘buy the conference’.
Attempts to get comment from the two ministers failed, but Mabe urged the delegates to come forward so that those who are offering bribes could be dealt with.
Meanwhile, the conference has been delayed due to glitches at the registration centre. According to the programme the conference was supposed to start at 8.30am with the political report by the president at 9am, but party national chairperson Gwede Mantashe announced that due to registration delays the conference was expected to start at 2pm.
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