By Johnathan Paoli
ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday he was awaiting a report into the alleged discovery of ballot papers linked to the party’s contentious Greater Johannesburg conference that took place in December.
Ballot boxes believed to be from that regional elective conference were reportedly found at a private residence in Pretoria on Sunday, triggering complaints to both the police and senior party structures.
“This matter has to be processed and then I’ll get the report. Much as you would respond, allow me to get the report first. I know you would like an instant answer, but some of these matters, one has to give consideration to,” Ramaphosa told the SABC on the sidelines of the party’s NEC lekgotla in Ekurhuleni.
The alleged discovery has reignited controversy surrounding the conference, which saw Johannesburg MMC for Finance Loyiso Lugayeni-Masuku defeat incumbent regional chair and current Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero in a fiercely contested leadership race.
The outcome has been disputed by Morero and his allies, who claim the process was manipulated to predetermine the result.
Morero has formally accused the ANC’s own electoral officials and the appointed election service provider of rigging the conference, alleging conflicts of interest and procedural violations that he says undermined the integrity of the vote.
In a letter addressed to Gauteng Provincial Task Team (PTT) convenor Hope Papo and ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula last week, Morero demanded an investigation into the conference.
Central to Morero’s complaint is the Election Management Consulting Agency of Africa (EMCA), which was contracted to oversee the electoral process.
He alleges that EMCA was conflicted and that its founder and CEO, Noluthando White, ensured Masuku’s victory.
White is employed by the City of Johannesburg and previously worked as a media liaison officer in Masuku’s office during her tenure as MMC for group corporate and shared services.
“The severity of the alleged transgressions by the election agency necessitates clarification from the provincial task team regarding their appointment process,” Morero wrote, warning that the conduct of the agency threatened the ANC’s internal democratic processes.
He further questioned whether White had disclosed her employment with the City of Johannesburg at the time of EMCA’s appointment, calling the situation “particularly troubling”.
Another allegation accused EMCA of “systematic opacity”, alleging a refusal to provide essential information and concluding that the cumulative evidence pointed to electoral manipulation and constitutional disregard.
White has rejected the allegations, stating that she is employed under the Office of the Speaker of Johannesburg, Margaret Arnolds, and denied any political, professional or personal alliance with Masuku.
She also said records show she resigned as an EMCA director in September 2021, making it “factually incorrect” to suggest she influenced the company’s role in the ANC Johannesburg conference.
ANC convenor of deployees in Gauteng, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, was among senior figures who visited the Pretoria house where the ballot papers were allegedly found, to assess the situation first-hand.
According to reports, the ballots were allegedly discovered opened at the residence of an official linked to the administration of the conference.
The Mail & Guardian reported a source saying attempts had been made to burn the papers, raising serious questions about why they were stored at a private home rather than secured through official party channels.
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