Eastern Cape social development MEC Nancy Sihlwayi has again been accused of disrespecting the public purse – this time by using state money to transport ANC Women’s League veterans to a state event in the Free State.
Sihlwayi arranged for eight elderly women, in their capacities as ANCWL members, to fly to Johannesburg, stay in a four-star hotel at R1350 a night a person and travel to Free State to the national Women’s Day event on August 9. The women confirmed the trip, saying they were chosen and invited by the MEC.
Asked in what capacity they went, they said as “ANC Women’s League veterans”.
They also met President Jacob Zuma.
Provincial ANC secretary Oscar Mabuyane yesterday said no ANC activities are paid for with government money.
“There’s no way that this could happen. You might have caught those women off guard, maybe they are not ANC veterans. No ANC activities are organised by state money, we are independent of government,” he said.
A source within the department who has knowledge of the trip told the Daily Dispatch yesterday that Sihlwayi was allegedly using the department’s funds to win the hearts of many ANC supporters in the province.
“We recently visited Port Elizabeth to meet with the wives of the Pepco Three comrades who died during the struggle. And later we delivered food parcels, campaigning for ANC using money from the department, for the contested Nelson Mandela Bay Ward 30 which the ANC lost to the UDM,” said the source.
Social development head of department Stanley Khanyile said the department had spent only R44200 for the Free State event.
“Of the nine people that attended in Sasolburg , three were employees of the department and six were veterans. Those were older persons and the department has a programme to support older persons and their attendance fits into that programme.”
The women listed for the trip were Nomxolisi Sweetness Vakalisa from OR Tambo region; Vivian Chiteko of Buffalo City Metro region; Margaret Thethelwa of Joe Gqabi region; Noluthando Junior of Sarah Baartman; Godlo Ester Nongemkile of Nelson Mandela Bay; Dorothy Sogoni of Alfred Nzo region; Teressa Konziwe of Amathole; and Nompucuko Sonti of Chris Hani region.
The Dispatch spoke to four of the women yesterday who all said they had gone to the event as ANC Women’s League veterans.
Chiteko said they were told a few days before the event that they would be attending.
“We had to spend two nights at the Premier Hotel at OR Tambo airport, we had a good time. When we were there we had to catch up as ANC women,” said Chiteko.
Chiteko said they were not there as guest speakers, only spectators.
“We were flown in to be there. We were not participating as we never spoke on stage.”
Sonti said she enjoyed the trip as government vehicles fetched her from her home to the airport and back again afterward.
“I had a good time thanks to social development and government for this. Our government and social development care and we had time to talk about ANC issues while we were in the hotel,” said Sonti.
Konziwe said the ANC needed to be praised for the event. “We received great treatment and we enjoyed it. We were lucky, we had to meet Nxamalala .”
This is the second time Sihlwayi has been involved in controversy within the department. Recently she was accused of nepotism after she allegedly instructed officials to include her sister on a list of needy youths sponsored by her department to study at a top South African university.
Khanyile maintained the women’s trip was above board and value for money.
Mabuyane said: “All provinces do send people and we are building a country here.”
MEC’s jaunt for ANCWL vets
Sihlwayi arranged for eight elderly women, in their capacities as ANCWL members, to fly to Johannesburg, stay in a four-star hotel at R1350 a night a person and travel to Free State to the national Women’s Day event on August 9. The women confirmed the trip, saying they were chosen and invited by the MEC.
Asked in what capacity they went, they said as “ANC Women’s League veterans”.
They also met President Jacob Zuma.
Provincial ANC secretary Oscar Mabuyane yesterday said no ANC activities are paid for with government money.
“There’s no way that this could happen. You might have caught those women off guard, maybe they are not ANC veterans. No ANC activities are organised by state money, we are independent of government,” he said.
A source within the department who has knowledge of the trip told the Daily Dispatch yesterday that Sihlwayi was allegedly using the department’s funds to win the hearts of many ANC supporters in the province.
“We recently visited Port Elizabeth to meet with the wives of the Pepco Three comrades who died during the struggle. And later we delivered food parcels, campaigning for ANC using money from the department, for the contested Nelson Mandela Bay Ward 30 which the ANC lost to the UDM,” said the source.
Social development head of department Stanley Khanyile said the department had spent only R44200 for the Free State event.
“Of the nine people that attended in Sasolburg , three were employees of the department and six were veterans. Those were older persons and the department has a programme to support older persons and their attendance fits into that programme.”
The women listed for the trip were Nomxolisi Sweetness Vakalisa from OR Tambo region; Vivian Chiteko of Buffalo City Metro region; Margaret Thethelwa of Joe Gqabi region; Noluthando Junior of Sarah Baartman; Godlo Ester Nongemkile of Nelson Mandela Bay; Dorothy Sogoni of Alfred Nzo region; Teressa Konziwe of Amathole; and Nompucuko Sonti of Chris Hani region.
The Dispatch spoke to four of the women yesterday who all said they had gone to the event as ANC Women’s League veterans.
Chiteko said they were told a few days before the event that they would be attending.
“We had to spend two nights at the Premier Hotel at OR Tambo airport, we had a good time. When we were there we had to catch up as ANC women,” said Chiteko.
Chiteko said they were not there as guest speakers, only spectators.
“We were flown in to be there. We were not participating as we never spoke on stage.”
Sonti said she enjoyed the trip as government vehicles fetched her from her home to the airport and back again afterward.
“I had a good time thanks to social development and government for this. Our government and social development care and we had time to talk about ANC issues while we were in the hotel,” said Sonti.
Konziwe said the ANC needed to be praised for the event. “We received great treatment and we enjoyed it. We were lucky, we had to meet Nxamalala .”
This is the second time Sihlwayi has been involved in controversy within the department. Recently she was accused of nepotism after she allegedly instructed officials to include her sister on a list of needy youths sponsored by her department to study at a top South African university.
Khanyile maintained the women’s trip was above board and value for money.
Mabuyane said: “All provinces do send people and we are building a country here.”
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