WATCH: Free State premier admits ‘it is a mistake’

In a clip sent to The Citizen on Friday, Free State premier Sisi Ntombela can be seen openly acknowledging an error on the part of her government with the way a house was handed over to a beneficiary on Thursday.

In the clip, Patriotic Alliance head of campaigns Mpho Mojanaga can be seen confronting the premier, who is also the deputy president of the ANC Women’s League, about why official government branding, officials and vehicles can be seen at an event that appeared to be being used as an ANC campaign event.

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ANC T-shirts had been given out at the event too.

Called for comment about it, Mojanaga said that he had been observing the premier handing over a “showroom house” in the Phase 7 informal settlement extension in Bloemfontein.

He said that yesterday when the premier ventured into the township to hand over the house, she arrived with official government cars and officials from the provincial government and the premier’s office.

“At the same time, there were government kombis filled with ANC T-shirts,” said Mojanaga. “When people arrived they were giving out ANC T-shirts.

“I went to her to confront her about all of this.”

She then explained that the house had actually been donated by a contractor after she asked for it in her capacity as the deputy president of the ANC Women’s League. The beneficiary was a woman whose daughter had allegedly been poisoned and killed by her ex-stepfather.

Mojanaga wanted to know why the premier had been driven there by government officials if she was actually there in her capacity as an ANC leader.

She then appeared to admit the confusion between party and state was a mistake, and even the presence of the human settlements banner was a mistake, and that she had supposed warned officials not to put up the banner.

“Are you admitting it was a mistake?” he asked.

“It is a mistake.”

She also apparently told Mojanaga that people had asked them for the ANC T-shirts, and that she or her officials hadn’t offered them in the first place, although that cannot be heard on the clip.

“I told her I’m going to report this to the Independent Electoral Commission of SA. The ANC using government resources and officials to campaign for the ANC is a clear conflict.”

Mojanaga said he would lodge his complaint with the IEC by noon.

The Citizen is attempting to get comment from the premier or her office and will update this article if or when comment is obtained.

Mojanaga added: “That area has a very serious problem with service delivery. There’s no water or sanitation, and electricity in only a certain part. There’s a stream that overflows when there’s heavy rain and kids have to cross a stream to go to school.

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