#PaidTwitter goes viral after ‘War Room’ claims

Following explosive allegations that the ruling ANC reportedly planned to spend R50 million on a covert elections campaign strategy in order to “disempower DA and EFF campaigns” during last year’s local municipal polls, social media has been abuzz with memes over the claims.

On Tuesday amaBhungane reported that public relations expert Sihle Bolani approached the Johannesburg High Court demanding that the party pay her R2.2 million for work her company did for its election campaign as part of the Media Advisory Team, initially known as the War Room.

ALSO READ: ANC admits it owes ‘War Room’ PR expert hundreds of thousands

The ANC has subsequently came out guns blazing against the allegations, branding them as “malicious falsehoods and gossip”. But its general manager Ignatius Jacobs said in court documents the businesswoman agreed that she would volunteer her services to its campaign.

Jacobs said “purely for the sake of settlement” and not to drag the matter for too long, he undertook to pay Bolani R1 million by the end of December.

Thus far she has been paid R100‚000 earlier this month with the ANC acknowledging that the balance of R900‚000 was still outstanding, and currently it wasn’t in the position to pay the amount.

It was also alleged that the Media Advisory Team was led by ANC activist Shaka Sisulu before it fizzled out. He has rubbished the reports on Tuesday as “fake news”, saying no one is safe from the recent wave of false news reports.

Here are the memes from #PaidTwitter:

#blacktwitter today!
Thank you @MYANC #PaidTwitter pic.twitter.com/2Y2lK8QlxE

— Tumi Sole (@tumisole) January 24, 2017

@ShakaSisulu will be like: "Black Twitter got on chill" tonight #PaidTwitter pic.twitter.com/8rltTHFKgb

— Tlhogi_b (@tlhogi_benzo) January 24, 2017

#PaidTwitter receipts please.! Where are they? pic.twitter.com/2beOixMmsz

— vusi makosi (@mavusimakosi) January 24, 2017

When your favourite tweleb realises they ain't shit or that influential on these streets to be included in that R50mill #PaidTwitter tender pic.twitter.com/RBTi5rjwR0

— Request 🐺 🇷🇺 (@Sir_Ceelo) January 24, 2017

Shaka Sisulu's mentions are LIT 😂😂😂😂 #paidtwitter pic.twitter.com/2F4cT3J3su

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A war room could be Eskom’s saviour

— Skelema'sa bokone (@N01Skelm) January 24, 2017

We awaiting receipts from uShaka keh #PaidTwitter pic.twitter.com/5OZVgbnduR

— Bangers4rmFB (@Bangers4rmFB) January 24, 2017

Waiting on Shaka to produce the receipts like… #PaidTwitter pic.twitter.com/M0wNIfOBNT

— IG:kabati_m (@kabati159) January 24, 2017

https://twitter.com/MrsNkwana/status/823904246823260160

Shaka chilling in the war room like. #PaidTwitter pic.twitter.com/1sYkBN9rck

— Mpinga (@SipheMacanda) January 24, 2017

yoh yoh yoh!!!! Whaaaat?? #paidtwitter pic.twitter.com/0F04ah77sA

— .𝑺𝒖𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑲𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒐𝒕𝒆 🌞 (@MissGwangwa) January 24, 2017

https://twitter.com/MotsiriK/status/823903350601170944

are you winning? #paidtwitter pic.twitter.com/hjkkIrGaDk

— SK🇿🇦 (@sekantsimm) January 24, 2017