New houses in the planned mixed-use Cornubia development, as well as jobs and cash, have been offered as “sweeteners” to induce potential voters to fraudulently register in upmarket Umhlanga and vote for the ANC on May 18, despite living elsewhere in Durban.
An investigation by The Mercury has linked the alleged inducements directly to a member of the ANC’s Umhlanga branch (Ward 35), whose name is known to the newspaper.
Potential voters interviewed said they had been promised a range of inducements to persuade them to register in Umhlanga, although they did not live in the suburb, which voted overwhelmingly for the DA in the last election.
At the top of the list of alleged sweeteners offered to some residents of Inanda, more than 20km from Umhlanga, as well as other areas, including Mayville, Umlazi and KwaMashu, was the promise of new homes in the multimillion-rand Cornubia development.
Several voters and recruiters interviewed by The Mercury spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing they would not get their promised homes or would be targeted for speaking to the media.
Some recruiters were paid between R500 and R700 and promised homes in Cornubia.
Those who had registered and were interviewed confirmed they had been offered jobs or houses to register and vote for the ANC candidate.
Others spoke of a community outreach project that would be established.
There were also promises of study bursaries.
In Inanda, residents identified a local ANC member as the person who organised 12 field workers to recruit potential voters from outside Umhlanga.
The recruiters were expected to assign false addresses to prospective voters to create the illusion they were Umhlanga residents. The Independent Electoral Commission does not require proof of residence for registration.
“On that morning (of voter registration), when we came in numbers, people at some stations became suspicious and started check ing addresses, but we were okay because we had used addresses in Umhlanga,” said a recruiter.
Some of the addresses given on voter registration forms include Pumpkin, Lettuce and Crocodile streets, which do not fall within Umhlanga’s boundaries, but in neighbouring Waterloo.
In one instance followed up by The Mercury, a woman gave her residential address as the premises of the Natal Sharks Board.
Confronted by The Mercury, she admitted to the fraud, but said she had been promised a job.
Others spoken to said they had also been told they should merely put their cross next to the face of the “mlungu” (white person) beside the ANC logo on election day.
Two Umlazi residents defended their actions, saying they worked in Umhlanga.
One, a bank employee, questioned why The Mercury was investigating the issue. “Is it wrong for black people to register in Umhlanga?” he said.
Another, who worked for Sars, was dismissive. “So, what do you want me to do about it?” he said.
DA councillor Heinz de Boer said about 450 voters from Inanda, KwaMashu, Umlazi, Waterloo and other areas were brought in to register in Umhlanga during the last registration weekend.
The DA subsequently embarked on a door-to-door verification mission to substantiate its complaint to the IEC.
“About 700 forms from the IEC are in our possession. We have started sifting through them to see if the addresses exist. The DA believes that about 450 of these forms might be fraudulent,” De Boer said.
ANC regional secretary Sbu Sibiya confirmed his party was aware that people living outside the ward had been brought into Umhlanga to vote.
An ANC councillor had reported to the regional ANC that people had been bused to ward 35, Sibiya said.
“We will be visiting the area tomorrow (on Friday) to find out what exactly has happened in that ward.”
The Mercury has also learnt that a public meeting of ANC supporters was called in Inanda on Wednesday night.
At the meeting, it was decided that in light of the DA sounding the alarm, and reports in The Mercury and on radio stations, residents should tread carefully if they planned to register in Umhlanga tomorrow and on Sunday.
The ANC has not yet announced its Umhlanga candidate for the local government poll.
The Mercury was able to speak to Ward 35 ANC chairman and businessman Roy Moodley. He denied all knowledge of any alleged electoral shenanigans by members of his party in the area.
“I do not know what you are talking about. As chairman of the branch, I have no idea what you are alluding to.
“If it is true, I will ask someone to write to me and make a formal complaint.”
Moodley said that the man implicated was not the type of person who would promise people houses and jobs in exchange for votes.
Saying he was currently out of the country, Moodley said he would speak to The Mercury only after a formal complaint was lodged.
“I cannot trust what you saying because it might be possible that you have been talking to other politicians about it,” Moodley said. - The Mercury