Potchefstroom - Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini has been accused of trying to use food parcels in Tlokwe - Potchefstroom - to buy votes for the ANC in the troubled municipality where an ANC mayor has been ousted twice in seven months.
Yesterday, the SA National Civic Organisation (Sanco), which has been fighting alongside 14 expelled ANC councillors in Tlokwe, claimed the minister had been frequenting the area and was set to deliver food parcels in Ward 9 where by-elections were to be contested soon.
“We see this as an abuse of state resources and an attempt to buy votes, given the timing of this distribution of food parcels, especially in this ward,” said Sanco’s regional secretary James Gadinabokao. “We want to expose this behaviour because it says they care about the people only closer to the elections.”
Gadinabokao said about 1 000 households were targeted for delivery of food parcels and preparations were under way in the area for the minister’s visit next week to deliver them.
Several other councillors in the area confirmed preparations were under way for the delivery of food parcels on Wednesday.
But yesterday, Dlamini’s spokeswoman Lumka Oliphant denied that the minister was set to visit Tlokwe next week.
Saturday Star