Mtubatuba IFP campaign manager denies wrongdoing

SOME Mtubatuba IFP members have expressed their dissatisfaction with the party’s organiser and campaign manager, Muzi Shobede.

They have accused him of making requests for funding a Ward 9 by-election, only to allegedly pocket the money – accusations he has vehemently denied.

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One IFP councillor, who asked not to be named for fear of being victimised, alleged that Shobede also made threats to the party’s deployed leaders at the municipality, all in his alleged attempts to source funding for campaigning.

This councillor said that it surfaced at a party meeting last Wednesday that an amount of R80 000 was given to Shobede by one party leader to be used for funding, but Shobede allegedly pocketed the money.

“When this was said at the meeting, the meeting came to an end suddenly,” said the councillor.
The source further said Shobede’s election as manager of the campaign was also questionable.

“We cannot run away from the truth; our campaign has been badly hit because volunteers are not pitching to our campaigns. At some point, we as councillors had to work alone. We are not happy with the way Shobede is doing things.”

When asked whether the complaints had been escalated internally, the councillor alleged that Shobede is linked with senior party leaders and that they, as complainants, were aware that nothing would come of their grievances.

Another allegation is that Shobede had made requests to local tenderpreneurs, reportedly threatening them that, should they not donate towards the party’s campaign, they would lose business at the municipality.

Complainants also accuse Shobede of making personal use of a car that was donated to the party for campaigning.

“Shobede is going around beating his chest that he is going to be the next mayor because he is connected to senior people within the party,” alleged a source.

Allegations dismissed
Shobede dismissed all allegations levelled against him and added that those who had spoken to the media had transgressed because no one in Mtubatuba is permitted to talk to the media.

He added that after the dissolution of the Mtubatuba IFP leadership structure, he was appointed as the party’s organiser in the area, reporting directly to provincial leadership.

“These people are playing internal politics; maybe they want positions within the party and they are doing whatever they can to get those positions,” said Shobede.

He denied ever receiving the R80 000 and said the letter he had written to the party’s leaders at the municipality had not made demands on them, but was a request from ‘one politician to another’ that these deployees fundraise on behalf of the party.

“The letter was not directed to the municipality and I did not ask for money. I requested for resources such as T-shirts and food for volunteers,” he said.

Shobede said the car he was making use of belonged to the party and had been purchased for its organisers at different municipalities.

“The car was not bought for the by-election campaign, it was bought so I can fulfil my duties as an organiser. Even after the by-elections, I will use the car,” he said.

He said the Ward 9 campaign was going ahead at full steam, and that he was not aware of instances where volunteers had not participated in campaigning.

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