Mangaung war hots up - Sex, lies hit campaign

THE ANC presidential succession battle has been marred by allegations of sexual harassment.

This comes amid bitter fights over the control of Eastern Cape's OR Tambo region, the second biggest.

The fight has pitted those in favour of President Jacob Zuma's re-election at the party's elective conference in Mangaung in December and those opposed to it.

It has emerged that during the preparations for the OR Tambo regional conference - which has since collapsed - ANC provincial executive committee (PEC) member Nomakhosazana Meth laid a charge of sexual harassment against the region's secretary, Jackson Sabona.

Meth alleged that Sabona had kissed her against her will.

In a police affidavit Meth details her version of what happened on a Thursday night on the parking lot of OR Tambo district municipality.

"She said Sabona wanted to speak to her, and while they were standing near his car, "grabbed me by my neck using his arms and inserted his tongue (into) my mouth, kissing me.

"I tried to push him away and bite his lips with my teeth. I finally managed to free myself from him and ran away ..."

Meth declined to comment yesterday claiming the matter was "sub judice".

Sabona's version was different. He said Meth had kissed him in the presence of other ANC members.

"She walked past as we were chatting and asked why I was so happy that night.

"She came closer to me ... hugged and kissed me. I then told her that I'm always like that. She left afterwards. I was surprised when police came to tell me about this the following day."

The court has since dismissed the charge.

It is believed Sabona's faction viewed the charge as a way of distracting him from preparing for the conference.

Sabona supports a faction that is opposed to Zuma's re-election while Meth is on the opposite camp.

The electoral outcome of the regional conference would have been key in determining whether Zuma or the ABZ (Anyone But Zuma) would get support from the OR Tambo delegates in Mangaung.

Sabona has since written a letter to ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe accusing certain PEC members of being responsible for the collapse of the conference on Monday.

In his complaint, Sabona accused Meth and other senior provincial leaders of being responsible for the collapse of the regional conference.

Others blamed are human settlements MEC Helen Sauls-August, local government MEC and ANC provincial spokesperson Mlibo Qoboshiyane, legislature secretary Pumelele Ndamase, Deputy Minister of Communications Stella Ndabeni (a well-known supporter of Zuma), and public works MEC Thandiswa Marawu.

All, except Ndabeni, are members of the PEC. The letter was sent to Mantashe on Tuesday. The accused are seen as backing Zuma's re-election as ANC president.

On Wednesday, the PEC sent officials to take over the running of the regional office, but were chased away by armed guards.

The conference was adjourned on Monday after it was discovered that there were more votes than the number adopted by the conference.

The region now blames this on Sauls-August, saying she accredited delegates from a ghost branch, known as Ward 27 from Port St Johns.

The municipality only has 20 wards.

"... in our view, the intention was to manipulate and defraud the process of accreditation and registration of delegates to pursue a factionalist agenda which is prohibited by our movement ..." part of the letter to Mantashe reads.

Mantashe neither denied nor confirmed receipt of the letter last night, except to say that the ANC would work on a solution and not seek publicity.

"We are running an organisation. It would be a very strange system if I write or I am written to...; and, we do it through the media. Even if there is, or there isn't such a letter, Sowetan should not be a postbox," Mantashe responded.