Durban - The use of ANC offices to register beneficiaries for state-sponsored food parcels has raised eyebrows, with opposition councillors crying foul.
The SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) was this week signing up scores of Bluff residents at the ANC councillors’ offices near Tara Road. They would receive parcels valued at R1 270.
A Bluff resident, who asked to remain anonymous, contacted the Daily News after his domestic worker asked for time off so she could go and get a food parcel.
The domestic worker said she had heard “food parcels were going to be given out at the ANC offices” on Monday morning and had gone to register.
DA eThekwini caucus leader Zwakele Mncwango said: “I know the ANC is using Sassa for their campaigns. If it wasn’t a political event, then why didn’t they invite a ward councillor?”
DA ward councillor for the Bluff, Francois du Bois, said he had not been advised of the registration process, but would look into it.
ANC ward councillor Zodwa Sibiya insisted the registration process was nothing to do with the ANC.
“We are not campaigning with food and this is a Sassa event. We just gave them the place to do it from since no other places were available,” said Sibiya.
Vusi Mahaye of Sassa denied the registration process was party political. He said the building was a municipal building that had been allocated to a party, in this case it had been allocated to proportional representation councillors Nana Cele and Sibiya.
Mahaye said: “We work with the municipality and the municipality gave us this place. We are an apolitical structure.”
Daily News