Mchunu supporters question his defeat as ANC SG
Johannesburg - African National Congress members who backed Senzo Mchunu to become ANC secretary general are questioning the final voting tally.
Mchunu, the former KwaZulu-Natal ANC chairperson, lost to Free State chair Ace Magashule by 24 votes on Monday night. The position of secretary general is seen as the engine of Luthuli House.
Magashule received 2 360 votes while Mchunu received 2 336. There were eight abstentions and four spoilt votes.
Supporters said the numbers do not add up, as the EleXion agency announced that 4708 of 4776 delegates voted.
"What happened to 68 votes?" one supporter asked via a WhatsApp message.
Another claimed that the steering committee for the 54th ANC national elective conference will be approached to attend to the matter.
Visit our special report, #ANCVotes , for all the news, analysis and opinions about the ANC’s national elective conference.
On Monday night, a shocked Mchunu was seen going up to the stage and asking to see the final results when Magashule was announced as the winner.
Another source close to Mchunu refused to comment to News24, but said: "Journalists should keep a close eye around developments on the claims throughout the day."Mchunu was nominated for the position of secretary general on now ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa's slate.
Ramaphosa's faction also lost out on the positions of deputy secretary general and deputy ANC president, with Jessie Duarte retaining her position as deputy secretary general and David Mabuza becoming deputy president.
Meanwhile, ANC head of elections Nomvula Mokonyane has distanced herself from several messages claiming that she tampered with the registration of delegates and the election process.
This was after she was accused of fiddling with the registration process ahead of the conference and asking for a recount of the results after the voting and counting had been completed on Monday.
Voting delegates were 4776
Ace Magashule got 2360
Senzo Mchunu got 2336
There were 8 abstentions
There were 4 spoilt votes
2360+2336+8+4= 4708
4776-4708=68
What happened to 68 votes? — Ntokozo Mbatha
Update:
ANC meeting over 68 missing votes
Johannesburg - News24 has confirmed that a meeting of the ANC's steering committee is underway to probe the "disappearance" of 68 delegates’ votes.
The total number of voting delegates attending conference is 4776, but only 4708 voted. The steering committee is in charge of organising the conference.
A senior ANC delegate told News24 the EleXion Agency, which conducted the election on the ANC’s behalf, must explain to the party what happened to the 68 missing votes.
"They are there. They are voting delegates who voted. Why weren’t their votes counted?" asked the source.
News24 understand the matter is driven by supporters of Senzo Mchunu, the candidate for secretary general on new ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa’s slate.
Mchunu lost by 24 votes to Free State ANC chair Ace Magashule, who is a strong ally of former ANC president Jacob Zuma.
Mchunu needs a mere 13 votes to beat Magashule. News24 understands that the electoral committee has been asked to report back to plenary on the matter.
