POLITICS

Nomvula Mokonyane rubbishes claims of rigging, ANC vote delay

ANC head of elections says no truth in allegations that she manipulated delegates

Cape Town – Minister of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane has rubbished allegations that she delayed the release of the election results at the ANC conference in her capacity as ANC head of elections.

She rejected rumours that she tried to include non-delegates into the conference credentials as well as assertions circulating on social media that she accused newly-elected ANC deputy president David Mabuza of having "sold out" in relation to the election of Cyril Ramaphosa and the top six of the ANC announced on Monday.

"The above allegations are false and an attempt to create divisions in the ANC by those opposed to the unity that ANC branches and delegates have demonstrated in the election outcomes," Mokonyane said in a tersely worded statement.

She has previously expressed that she would not vote for Ramaphosa.

"It will be the will of the ANC members if he (Ramaphosa) wins. I will not vote for him. And I can talk to those I can influence and say why I will not. But should it happen that he gets voted in, I will serve under him," she said previously.

In the run-up to the tightly contested vote, Mokonyane called for radical economic transformation – seen as tacit support for Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who lost to Ramaphosa by just 179 votes.

"Radical economic transformation talks about insisting on and ensuring those that have been disadvantaged in their own country must not be the beneficiaries of the mine dump, but must be beneficiaries of what has come out of the mines," Mokonyane said at UWC in October.

She insisted that she supports the elected leadership of the ANC.

"I have in the run-up to this conference shared my views and preferences on leadership and equally, my commitment to supporting an elected leadership post-conference. My commitment expressed in this regard remains.

"Allegations of manipulation of delegates by myself have been disproved. I have also at no point involved myself nor participated in the work of the electoral commission and as such allegations that I request a recount are false and misleading," Mokonyane added.

News24