Johannesburg - ANC national executive committee member Nomvula Mokonyane says she is taking legal action against those who continue accusing her of fraudulently influencing the outcomes of the party’s national elective conference.
Mokonyane, who was head of elections in the previous NEC, was alleged to be the key figure behind the failure to count several special votes that were cast in the election of ANC officials by the electoral commission.
With Mokonyane’s close ties to former African Union Commission chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma’s presidential bid, the alleged act was seen as aimed at bolstering Dlamini Zuma's slate as it saw the election of Free State premier Ace Magashule as secretary general.
Backers of former KwaZulu-Natal ANC chairperson and premier Senzo Mchunu, who was on ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa’s slate, complained that Mchunu would have won the post had the special votes been counted and included in the final outcome before the results were announced.
Mokonyane however refuted the allegations during the conference, saying they were aimed at tarnishing her image and casting doubt on the integrity of the outcomes of the conference.
On Thursday, Mokonyane announced that her lawyers would be gunning for those who continued to peddle the allegations against her.
This after an SMS was circulated accusing her of bribing an electoral officer with R200 000 in exchange for meddling with the outcomes.
“I have identified one Mr Ronnie McKenzie as the originator of the message that has been circulated on social media and in various WhatsApp groups and have instructed my lawyers to take legal action against him for the defamation of character that is contained in the allegations made,” she said.
In a statement, Mokonyane also rejected allegations that she had approached Mchunu and apologised for the alleged meddling with electoral outcomes of the position he contested.
“I have not made any attempt to visit Cde Senzo Mchunu and the allegation that I have been turned away from his residence is totally untrue.” Mokonyane said.
On Thursday Mchunu also confirmed that Mokonyane had not met with him or apologised to him.
“Somebody who has access to social media told me about this yesterday but what I can tell you is that this is not true,” Mchunu said.
Following his failed bid to succeed current national chairman Gwede Mantashe as secretary general, Mchunu was elected to the party’s NEC.
Meanwhile, the new NEC meeting is set to meet for the first time on Wednesday next week to discuss preparations for the party’s 106th anniversary celebrations which will be taking place on January 13 in the Eastern Cape.
The meeting has however become a sharp focal point after it emerged that some members were pushing for a fresh bid for president Jacob Zuma’s recall by those close to Ramaphosa.
Those seen as loyal to Zuma have refused to openly air their views about their attitudes to calls for Zuma’s early exit.
Energy minister David Mahlobo said he would not play into the gallery on the matter as the agenda for the upcoming NEC meeting is yet to be circulated.
“I do not air my views before the organisation deliberates on issues. What we know now as an item on the agenda for the meeting next week is the preparations for the January 8 statement.
“Those who publicly air their view are trying to influence what they want to be on the agenda, and that is not how I do things,’’ Mahlobo said.
He said even if he might be close to some leaders of the party, he respected decisions of the ANC as the view of the party reigned supreme on all matters.