Premier Mandla Ndlovu accused of using housing handovers to campaign for ANC

The premier faces allegations of using government housing handovers to campaign for the ANC ahead of the November 4 elections. Political parties in Mpumalanga have accused premier Mandla Ndlovu and his administration of using government housing programmes to campaign for the ANC ahead of the November 4 elections. The allegations came after posters aimed at alerting residents of Bushbuckridge about an event in which Ndlovu was going to hand over a house surfaced on social media. The poster, with Ndlovu and Mpumalanga human settlements MEC Speedy Mashilo in ANC T-shirts, alerted residents of Steve Tshwete local municipality about the housing handover. One poster stated Ndlovu conducted a door-to-door campaign in ward 20 on 20 September ahead of a housing handover scheduled for 21 September in ward 21 in the Bushbuckridge subregion. DA calls for investigation The DA in Mpumalanga said it would submit evidence to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and provincial legislature’s ethics committee for investigation. DA provincial legislature member Bosman Grobler accused Ndlovu and his administration of using government housing handovers as electioneering platforms. “In the past few months, the premier and Mashilo, with other Mpumalanga government officials, have been presiding over handing over houses to disadvantaged families. “These events were promoted using official government platforms, but the premier and his administration handed over the housing in ANC regalia, a sure sign they used government platforms as electioneering tools for the ANC.” Grobler questioned why the events were promoted through official provincial government media platforms if, as Ndlovu has stated, the houses were funded by the Mandla Ndlovu Foundation and donors. “This is one of the reasons why the DA wants the IEC and the ethics committee to investigate the premier and his administration.” African People’s Convention leader Themba Godi said the alleged conduct was unethical and illegal. “The ANC has always used government programmes to promote itself and these services are usually done for show rather than as part of a systematic and programmatic approach to alleviating the concerns and suffering of the people,” said Godi. Godi added the ANC was losing support ahead of the poll and was attempting to reverse the trend. “These are desperate attempts by a desperate man and a desperate party that has lost relevance and support in the province. “Come 4 November, the role and position of the ANC will be greatly diminished.”