Two factions in the ANC are battling for control of Johannesburg.
The mayor of Johannesburg, Dada Morero, has spoken out against vote buying at the ANC’s Greater Johannesburg regional conference.
On Thursday, the party will elect its new leadership, but this process has been marred by allegations of vote-buying on both sides.
“The devil of money and money politics are wrong. While we try at all times to condemn them and to talk about them, they do happen. It is so unfortunate that the ANC has not had the ability as an organisation to say: ‘how do we focus on this thing and destroy it once and for all?'” he told The Citizen.
Morero said the politics of money were destroying the ANC.
“Politics of money affect us because we end up electing people who are not fit for the task,” he said.
The Citizen has received correspondence from some delegates complaining that certain benefactors have booked them into luxury venues around the Sandton area. They alleged that those booked into these venues are being bribed.
There were also complaints about money moving around in Checkers bags and in chocolate boxes or containers.
The factions
There are two factions in this conference: one led by the current chairperson, Morero, and the other by the Joburg MMC for finance, Loyiso Masuku.
On Thursday, a new slate emerged, representing the faces Morero is taking into the elections.
This includes Matshidiso Mfikoe, who serves in the Gauteng legislature, and his chief of staff, Chris Vondo, among other notable names.
Not much is known about the changes in Masuku’s slate, but initial indications were that she is being backed by the current spokesperson of the region, Masilo Serekele, and the former secretary of the region, Sasabona Manganye.
The delegates are expected to start voting on Thursday evening.
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