The ATM wants the council speaker to investigate the misuse of municipal resources for electioneering
The African Transformation Movement (ATM) says it wants the Buffalo City Municipal Council to investigate allegations of jobs-for-votes.
The party told The Citizen on Friday that some of its volunteers in different wards across the municipality were told that they would be given job opportunities in the municipality if they traded their ATM T-shirts for ANC ones.
According to ATM spokesperson Zama Ntshona, some of the party’s volunteers have now received jobs in the municipality’s Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) after renouncing their support for the ATM.
LIVE interactive map, latest news, multimedia and more!
View MapThis is not the first time the ANC has been accused of using EPWP job opportunities to drum up support for the party. The intention of EPWP is to alleviate poverty and address the country’s high unemployment rate.
“The African Transformation Movement (ATM) will formally approach the Speaker of Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality and relevant oversight institutions to demand an urgent, independent investigation into allegations that municipal jobs, EPWP opportunities, assets and service-delivery programmes are being used for party-political purposes.
“The growing number of allegations across different wards raises concerns that these may not be isolated incidents, but may point to a deeper and potentially systemic blurring of the line between the governing party and the municipal administration,” said Ntshona.
Abuse of power
He warned against political parties abusing their positions in government to gain support from residents.
“Municipal resources belong to the people, not to the ANC, the ATM or any political party. Poverty and unemployment must never become electoral currency,” he said.
EPWP contacts
Ntshona said the ATM also wants a thorough investigation into the EPWP projects in Buffalo City. He said his party believes that the EPWP contracts in Buffalo City have been used to serve the ANC.
“The ATM welcomes employment opportunities. What requires investigation is whether access to publicly funded jobs is being influenced by political considerations and whether people without lawful municipal authority are being permitted to determine or influence who benefits.”
Buffalo City is one of the most hotly contested municipalities in the Eastern Cape and is currently under the full control of the ANC.
The ATM’s complaints come days after political parties signed an Electoral Code of Conduct, a set of rules drawn up by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) to ensure parties behave ethically during campaigning and on election day.
Meanwhile, The Citizen contacted the ANC in the Eastern Cape for comment, but they referred the matter to the ANC regional structures in Buffalo City. This article will be updated as soon as we receive their comment.
