Image: SIMPHIWE NKWALI
Lobbyists for former ANC treasurer general and presidential candidate Mathews Phosa have written to the party requesting intervention in what they call "the corrupt running of branch general meetings" (BGMs) to nominate candidates.
At a media briefing yesterday in Nelspruit, provincial campaign coordinator for Phosa, Ronnie Malomane claimed that over 70% of BGMs in Mpumalanga were marred by corrupt activities which led to some members being beaten up by a group called "Practical Radical Economic Transformation (PRET)" for not nominating Nkosazana-Dlamini Zuma.
Malomane alleged that in one branch, a provincial executive member instructed members during a BGM to nominate him as a delegate to attend the conference taking place in December.
"We request the NEC of the ANC to intervene in Mpumalanga because guidelines of the nomination processes are not being followed.
"Here delegates elected in BGMs are having a different view from that of the REC and PEC of the ANC are being eliminated from the list and are replaced with people who are told who to vote for during the conference."
Malomane said regional and provincial leaders assigned to oversee the running of branch nominations only brought an attendance register and did not come with nomination forms.
" In some cases they collapse the meeting if a candidate they hate is nominated," said Malomane.
He said they sent the complaint to the ANC's provincial office in Mpumalanga, and to Luthuli house.
Yesterday, ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe said his office was dealing with complaints it received from various provinces.
The provincial secretary of the ANC, Mandla Ndlovu, did not return SMSes sent to him.