“We are going to investigate these allegations as they are serious. If they are found to be indeed true, appropriate action will be taken [against the councillor].
“As I am talking to you, I am writing a letter to all the chief whips, instructing them not to participate in the process of distributing parcels in the community as per a decision taken by the PEC last week. Councillors are supposed to provide oversight and not be the ones directly managing the distribution of parcels,” said coordinator of the ANC regional task team Mafika Mgcina.
The Gauteng department of social development is the one which is running the distribution of parcels to poor households across the province during the national lockdown. Provincial government has prioritized the homeless, child-headed households, the sick and those who survive by piece jobs to benefit from the initiative.
The general public is allowed to alert the department of anyone who is in desperate need for food. That person is then screened and social workers are sent to their homes before the parcels are then distributed from the existing food banks used by the department.Councillors are allowed to send names of people in need to the department as they are closer to the community.
ANC Midvaal councillor under investigation for soliciting money for data from the poor
Image: PHILLIP NOTHNAGEL
The ANC in Sedibeng has committed to investigate allegations that its Midvaal councillor is asking money from community members in order to buy data to send requests for food parcels.
On Monday, the DA in Gauteng named an ANC councillor in Midvaal who is going door-to-door collecting details of the people and charging each household R3.
DA MPL Refiloe Nt’sekhe accused the councillor of abusing government’s programme to help the poor for his own personal gain.
“It is alleged the councillor…claims that the R3 is for buying data to be used to submit the food parcels request via email to the Gauteng department of social development…It is a disgrace that the councillor is allegedly stealing from the poor who are in desperate need of food while councillors are provided with laptops, cellphones and allowances for data to assist the residents,” Nt’ sekhe said.
The ANC confirmed to SowetanLive that the allegations have reached the region.
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“We are going to investigate these allegations as they are serious. If they are found to be indeed true, appropriate action will be taken [against the councillor].
“As I am talking to you, I am writing a letter to all the chief whips, instructing them not to participate in the process of distributing parcels in the community as per a decision taken by the PEC last week. Councillors are supposed to provide oversight and not be the ones directly managing the distribution of parcels,” said coordinator of the ANC regional task team Mafika Mgcina.
The Gauteng department of social development is the one which is running the distribution of parcels to poor households across the province during the national lockdown. Provincial government has prioritized the homeless, child-headed households, the sick and those who survive by piece jobs to benefit from the initiative.
The general public is allowed to alert the department of anyone who is in desperate need for food. That person is then screened and social workers are sent to their homes before the parcels are then distributed from the existing food banks used by the department.Councillors are allowed to send names of people in need to the department as they are closer to the community.
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