The African National Congress (ANC) has slammed claims that the party was planning to sell illegal narcotics to fund its 1999 election campaign.
Last week‚ News24 ran an article headlined “ANC planned to sell drugs to fund 1999 election campaign – claim surfaces in court”.
It dealt with the testimony of a former member of an elite investigative unit set up by former President Nelson Mandela whose statement‚ written 20 years ago‚ was read out in the Western Cape High Court as part of the ongoing civil trial brought by Major-General Andre Lincoln‚ himself a former member of the unit.
Lincoln’s legal representative Advocate Johann Nortje read out the statement of the former unit member during cross-examination of Leonard Knipe‚ former top brass of the murder and robbery unit.
Lincoln is suing the minister of police for R15-million in damages for alleged malicious prosecution after he and other members of the unit were arrested on criminal charges.
ANC national spokesman Zizi Kodwa was scathing of the claim.
“The ANC rejects with contempt the spurious and preposterous claims that the organisation ‘planned to sell drugs’‚” he said in a statement.
“We would like to state categorically that the ANC’s main source of funding‚ for its day to day work and of any campaigns‚ has been and will always be from its membership fees and from donors‚” Kodwa said.
“We believe these false claims are‚ therefore‚ orchestrated to damage the good name of the late President Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress.”
Tiso Black Star Group Digital/TimesLIVE
We never planned to sell drugs - ANC
Last week‚ News24 ran an article headlined “ANC planned to sell drugs to fund 1999 election campaign – claim surfaces in court”.
It dealt with the testimony of a former member of an elite investigative unit set up by former President Nelson Mandela whose statement‚ written 20 years ago‚ was read out in the Western Cape High Court as part of the ongoing civil trial brought by Major-General Andre Lincoln‚ himself a former member of the unit.
Lincoln’s legal representative Advocate Johann Nortje read out the statement of the former unit member during cross-examination of Leonard Knipe‚ former top brass of the murder and robbery unit.
Lincoln is suing the minister of police for R15-million in damages for alleged malicious prosecution after he and other members of the unit were arrested on criminal charges.
ANC national spokesman Zizi Kodwa was scathing of the claim.
“The ANC rejects with contempt the spurious and preposterous claims that the organisation ‘planned to sell drugs’‚” he said in a statement.
“We would like to state categorically that the ANC’s main source of funding‚ for its day to day work and of any campaigns‚ has been and will always be from its membership fees and from donors‚” Kodwa said.
“We believe these false claims are‚ therefore‚ orchestrated to damage the good name of the late President Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress.”
Tiso Black Star Group Digital/TimesLIVE
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