A former ANC mayor in Limpopo was allegedly robbed of R140,000 in cash at the weekend.   

The money was meant to pay party agents. Nakedi  Sibanda,  the  former mayor    of    Lepelle  Nkumpi local municipality,  had just withdrawn  the cash from a bank  when  she  was  accosted by  armed men at  the  ANC regional  offices  in Polokwane, who robbed her at gunpoint

Sibanda,  who  is  now  ANC treasurer at the Peter Mokaba region,  said  she  was  with  a party  administrator  when three  armed  men  approached them outside the offices in the parking lot.

Sibanda, who suspected that they  were  followed  from  the bank,  said  she  withdrew  the money  from  an ANC  account in order to pay over 200 party agents.

Sibanda  said: “It  was on Saturday when I and an  ANC regional administrator went to the  bank to  withdraw R140,000  from  the  party’s account  to pay  for agents  who assisted the  party  in  voter registration.

“After withdrawing the money we drove straight to the office, and immediately when we parked the car, we noticed a white Audi sedan driving through the gate,” she said.

“One of the men pulled a gun and went to the administrator, who was driving.   

I quickly jumped out of the car and ran into the offices.  The men opened the back door of the car and took the bag, which was containing the money.”

Sibanda was forced to resign as mayor in December after her municipality invested R151m in the now liquidated VBS Mutual Bank.

ANC Peter Mokaba regional secretary Eugene Masete said the party   was   aware   of   the incident.   

“The matter was reported to the police, who are investigating.

“We can further confirm that the money was meant for party   agents   who   had   been deployed to various voting stations,” he said.

Police spokesperson Col Moatshe Ngoepe confirmed that a case of armed robbery was being investigated.

Ngoepe said the money was withdrawn in one of the banks in the Mall of the North in Polokwane. He said no arrests have been made and investigations were continuing.