Johannesburg – South Africa’s ruling ANC party is being investigated by the government corruption watchdog for an allegation that the ruling ANC party handed out state-paid mattresses in election campaigns ahead of general polls on May 7, a spokesman said Tuesday.
According to Public Protector Thuli Madonsela, the new opposition party AgangSA is believed to be planning to meet with the country’s social security agency after a complaint was raised,.
“AgangSA complained that mattresses were distributed in Valhalla in Cape Town allegedly as part of the ruling party’s election campaign,” her spokesman Oupa Segalwe said.
It is believed the ruling African National Congress’ deputy secretary general Jesse Duarte handed out 300 mattresses to shantytown residents.
“The DA complained last year that the department of social development was using food parcels to canvas for votes ahead of the municipal by-election in Tlokwe, North West” province, he said.
Madonsela also launched a “preliminary investigation” to test if the electoral commission could hear complaints that the provincial government of Gauteng, the country’s economic heartland, used the same colours as the ANC in branding.
ANC has seen an increase in party bickering ahead of South Africa’s fourth national polls since the first all-race elections in 1994.
The ombudsman, a highly respected lawyer, in March ordered President Jacob Zuma to repay part of state-paid renovations worth $23 million to his private home.
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