More than R180 000 blown on expensive hotels and car hire
THE ANC has been using constituency coffers for senior party members to jet around the province and stay in luxury hotels.
The funds are strictly off limits to party members. Only public representatives are entitled to use them.
Secretary Oscar Mabuyane and Buffalo City Metro mayor Zukiswa Ncitha are among the organisation’s Eastern Cape leaders who abused the funds.
The serious breach of legislature rules saw more than R180 000 blown on expensive hotels and costly car-hire three years ago.
Invoices seen by the Saturday Dispatch show Mabuyane alone incurred a bill of R125 939.
Ncitha was an ordinary ANC member at the time, and also serving in the central executive committee of the South African Communist Party.
Mabuyane, Ncitha and ANC provincial executive committee (PEC) member Nomakhosazana Meth dined at the four-star Radisson Blu Hotel in Port Elizabeth, where a standard guest room costs R1 200 a night.
Records also show hotel bills for an ANC provincial organisers’ meeting attended by Ten-ten Pikinini, Mashwabada Gcilishe, Mabuyane and Dumisani Maninjwa, held in April 2010 at Mthatha’s Garden Court, were also paid from the fund.
Only Pikinini is a member of the provincial legislature (MPL). But sources confirmed he attended the meeting as an ANC provincial organiser.
Mabuyane denied any wrongdoing.
“ANC caucus funds are meant to advance party political interests across the political spectrum in the legislatures.
“I would be interested in the piece of legislation that prohibits this . . . you are simply being used for factional interests,” said Mabuyane in a text message. He went on to say the practice was widespread and questioned why “all your sources are not included on the list sent to you”.
The caucus funds Mabuyane referred to are separate from constituency money and have different rules governing them.
Opposition parties lashed out at the ANC.
“What the ANC is doing is uncalled for,” said the DA deputy leader in Bhisho, Vuyelwa Mvenya. “We have a guide that distinguishes between party funding from constituency funding and how each should be used.”
COPE leader in Bhisho