Parliament – Government would not use state resources for party political campaigning ahead of the August local government elections, deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa committed on Wednesday.
Speaking in the National Assembly during his quarterly question-and-answer session, Ramaphosa said in the light of a report by the Public Protector which found abuse of state resources when Julius Malema, as then African National Congress Youth League President, handed out government food parcels in the run-up to the 2009 national elections, the minister of social development had instructed the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) social relief is handed out in terms of the law and not for party political purposes.
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“The minister’s instructions is aimed at ensuring that only recipients who qualify for social relief of distress in terms of our law will receive it and that only departmental or Sassa staff will be the ones who will distribute it. In this regard the government respects the office of the public protector and accepts the remedial action she takes is binding, unless it is reviewed or set aside by a court of law,” said Ramaphosa.
“Government is furthermore committed to ensuring all members of the executive abide by the ethics code and that all state resources are used with great care and for the purpose for which they were allocated.”
The ANC has in the past come under fire from opposition parties who claim the party hands out food parcels, paid for by the State, to buy votes.
Ramaphosa said the ruling party did not need to buy votes.
“The ANC does not need to buy votes through giving people food parcels. The ANC as a governing party has enough experience, has the right policies, and has enough capability to convince people to vote for them rather than through buying them through food parcels….”
Asked by UDM MP Nqabayomzi Kwankwa what would be done to prevent government from using its expanded public works programmes, which creates job opportunities for unemployed South Africans, “as tool to prop up the ruling party’s campaign”, Ramaphosa said government’s public employment programmes were meant to benefit all South Africans irrespective of party affiliation.
“We will keeep a watchful eye on exactly that type of behaviour,” said Ramaphosa.
African News Agency