The alleged R1-billion donated to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s ANC presidential campaign is being used as the basis to try and dislodge him from power.
A Gugulethu ANC member from Dula Omar region in the Western Cape filed an application in the high court in Joburg last week to declare invalid and set aside the outcome of the 54th ANC conference in 2017, which saw Ramaphosa become party president.
Lubabalo Sanqela has also asked the court to declare the national elective conference that was held at Nasrec, Joburg fraudulent and in violation of the ANC constitution.
He asked for an order declaring null and void the outcomes of the elections as they did not reflect the wishes of the genuine membership of the ANC.
Sanqela also sought an order to extend the previous national executive committee’s term so that it could elect a national task team to organise a “properly constituted” 54th elective conference within three months.
In court papers seen by Sunday World, Sanqela said a campaign known as CR17 was established with a view to garner votes for Ramaphosa. He said funds amounting to R1-billion were obtained to advance the interests of the current president and as such constituted a violation of the party’s constitution.
“While the conference which I seek to challenge took place in December 2017, the irregularities, vote buying, use of money, [and] creation of nonexistent branches only emerged recently in the media,” Sanqela said.
“The campaign … obtained large sums of money from the private sector in order to influence the outcome of the conference in favour of the current president, [ and that] constitutes a violation of the ANC constitution and its values.”
ANC spoksperson, Pule Mabe , during the ANC provincial Conference in Limpopo.
PHOTO: ANTONIO MUCHAVE/SOWETAN
He said the funds were used to buy branch general meetings to have Ramaphosa nominated as a presidential candidate.
Sanqela further said branch membership numbers were manipulated and parallel structures were created and allowed to participate in the regional conferences, whose outcomes they influenced.
He said Free State ANC member Thapelo Leponesa has confessed to have taken part in the creation of nonexistent branches in the Western Cape and Free State.
“He [Thapelo] alleges this was done by collecting membership forms and stamping them with a fake bank stamp, which was manufactured on the instructions of one Mxolisi Dukwana,” he said, adding that Dukwana, a former Free State MEC, had received funds from CR17.
The matter will be heard on October 17.
ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe has said the party will oppose the application.
