Agang SA complains to Public Protector about ANC Abuse of Welfare Body
Johannesburg; 21 January 2014: As the ANC's abuse of state resources for its election campaign grows every day, Agang SA today lodged a complaint against the Social Security Agency of SA (SASSA) for funding 1 400 mattresses to be used by the ANC to buy votes.
According to media reports, ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte led the handing out some of the mattresses to about 300 people at the Valhalla informal settlement in Cape Town, which was destroyed by fire late last year. The party was campaigning in the build-up to the provincial launch of its election manifesto at Delft stadium this past Sunday.
ANC Youth League provincial task team convenor Muhammad Khalid Sayed said 1 400 mattresses were donated by the SA Social Security Agency. "We asked SASSA nationally to intervene even though this is not their area, because the city was not intervening," Sayed is quoted saying by Sunday Times.
Agang SA Communications Director, Thabo Leshilo said: "It is unseemly of the social security agency to fund the ANC's fierce competition for the hearts and minds of voters. This constitutes a serious violation of the agency's mandate and fiduciary duty.
"This is yet another example of government agencies and resources being abused to entrench the governing party in power. It smacks of the party's dangerous conflation of itself with the government and the state."
Agang SA wants the Public Protector to investigate this matter, with a view to bringing those responsible for the abuse of public funds to book and to recover every cent of taxpayers' money that has been misspent.
Whilst there is no doubt the people of Valhalla Park need assistance, it is totally unacceptable that taxpayers' money should be corruptly used to entrench the governing party's hold on power.
The party's action follows its similar complaint to Madonsela's office last month, about the Gauteng government spending R2 million a month on advertisements promoting the ANC's election campaign in the province.
The advertisements, which use ANC colours to ostensibly highlight the Gauteng government's achievements, are unnecessary and done for the sole purpose of boosting the party's election campaign.
Agang SA advocates clean, competent and accountable government that will ensure every cent of public money is spent on improving the lives of all South Africans. The party will come hard on corruption and stop the stealing with a 15 year minimum sentence for all corruption crimes. It will also ban officials and their families from doing business with the government.
Statement issued by Thabo Leshilo, Communications Director, Agang SA, January 21 2014
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