ANC branch members aligned to the party’s provincial task team convener, premier Oscar Mabuyane, have been accused of listing dead members on their lists of members in good standing to nominate and elect regional and provincial leaders.
DispatchLIVE has seen death certificates of some of the deceased listed in an attendance register.
The party’s branch general meetings preparing for nominations have been marred by allegations of manipulation and violence, ahead of the elective conferences.
One of the affected structures, ward 34’s Gilbert Smoyana branch, cried foul over “gross misconduct, fraud and acts of intimidation” at a meeting at Moses Twebe Hall in Dimbaza on March 16.
The branch, just like many others across the region, is divided into two, with rigging allegations against Mabuyane backers by supporters of his rival PTT member, public works MEC Bababalo Madikizela.
“Two methods of membership verification were used [at the meeting],” branch chair Zanoxolo Mehlo said.
“One was verifying members on the membership list whether they are in good standing or not. After they have been [verified], those who are in good standing will then have their identification scanned.
“The scanner is given a QR code by Luthuli House so that he or she can use his or her phone as a scanner.
“Andiswa Dyantyi, who was a scanner on that day, apparently scanned identity documents of two members who were deceased.
“All deceased members are supposed to be removed from the membership data by the secretary of the branch, but they have not been removed.”
Mehlo alleged that the names of members who died as far back as April 2021 were still reflected on the membership list.
“We have opened a case of fraud against Andiswa Dyantyi as a scanner,” he said.
“These acts are tantamount to fraud and gross misconduct and therefore can’t be left unattended to.
“Acts of intimidation also took place where bouncers were brought to the meeting by a deployee, Busisiwe Ntsasela, and Antonio Carels [ Dr WB Rubusana regional task team co-ordinator], who certified issues.”
Mehlo alleged the pro-Mabuyane grouping involved amaphara (thugs) after realising that things were not going their way.
“In the midst of the registration process when they noticed that the meeting did not favour their forces within the branch executive committee, the balance of forces was against them, they decided to bring amaphara into the meeting to destabilise it and cause fear, in particular for the elderly.
“And the amaphara were allowed entrance into the venue by the same bouncers, whom Carels claimed were there to maintain order.”
On Tuesday, Dyantyi declined to comment on the allegation levelled against her.
Attempts to get comment from the Ntsasela proved futile as her cellphone rang unanswered and she did not respond to text messages by print deadline.
Speaking to DispatchLIVE earlier in March after a shooting in Ilitha, Carels denounced any allegation of violence and intimidation.
Commenting on the “bouncer” claims, Carels said the party had beefed up security at meetings following incidents of violence in meetings across the region.
“It’s [violence] something that we condemn in the strongest possible terms. The ANC is a very disciplined organisation,” Carels said at the time.
Ward 13 has also raised concerns over inclusion of the deceased on party membership lists, allegedly by the pro-Mabuyane grouping.
Police spokesperson Brig Tembinkosi Kinana had not responded to DispatchLIVE regarding the fraud case opened in Dimbaza.
Besides the Dimzaza incident, ward 16’s Nomatshaka Mgabela slammed Carels, claiming that their BGM was “stolen”.
“On March 20 2022, out branch planned to sit its BBGM/BGM by 1pm at Cambridge Hall, East London.
“We, as part of branch task team together with general membership, couldn’t start on time due to complaints about QR codes for scanners,” the branch said in a complaint letter sent to Luthuli House and Carels.
“At about 3.30pm the scanners started scanning. Around 9.34pm at the time we were 123 members gunning for a 282 quorum.
“We then decided to meet as BTT [branch task team] and RTT [regional task team] for a way forward. It was then proposed that we cancel the meeting and release the members due to a lack of quorum.
“We then proceeded to the main hall to communicate the decision. We then collectively addressed members and released them to go home due to lack of quorum taking into consideration time.
“We were shocked to learn from the head of organising that our branch is among those that sat and qualified. We then learnt that at 11.44pm of March 20 2022 the leadership resumed scanning until midnight.
“The scanned additional 223 members to that 123 we know to make 346.”
The branch member described the move as “fraud and gatekeeping”, and raised concerns over the leadership’s ability to deliver free and fair conferences.
DispatchLIVE
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