ANC turmoil

Alex Matlala

LIMPOPO – ANC provincial secretary, Nocks Seabi has been accused of leading a smear campaign to purge senior government officials who failed to bow to the alleged demands of the ANC’s provincial leadership to award lucrative government tenders to the ANC’s friends, relatives and political allies.

These serious allegations were made by adv Makonde Mathivha, former municipal manager of Thulamela Municipality  during and interview with CV last week.

Mathivha went on to say that government employees who had failed to bow to the demands of the party’s provincial leadership were threatened with suspension and expulsion. He said those targeted were mostly government officials who had served with former ANC provincial chairperson, Cassel Mathale.

Mathivha was suspended in April this year amid allegations of bringing the name of the municipality into disrepute. Four months later, he resigned.

Last week, Mathivha spilled the beans and branded Seabi “a brutal, cruel, selfish and self-centred ANC cadre, practising political polarisation to maim those who failed to award tenders to service providers close to him”.

“Seabi called me to his office in February soon after I advertised tenders worth over R1 billion on behalf of the municipality. The tenders were for the construction of access bridges and roads. Upon completion, the projects were poised to connect the sprawling municipal villages with the region’s economic hub of Thohoyandou,” Mathivha explained

“Two of the roads to be constructed were over R100 million gravel to tar from Punda Maria junction to the late minister, Collin Chabane‘s home village of Xikundu, as well as the Tshififi road from Thohoyandou to Sibasa.

“While in his office, Seabi told me that I was expected to assist the ANC. He then highlighted the names of the companies which he wanted the tenders to be awarded,” Mathivha alleged. He also claimed to have a list of the tenders with those allegedly favoured being highlighted, a copy of which was given to CV.

Seabi was unreachable for comment with his phone ringing unanswered, as well as written messages being ignored.

However, speaking on behalf of Limpopo government, Phuti Seloba, said the allegations against Seabi sought to undermine the professionalism and ethics of government officials working under the tutelage of premier Stanley Mathabatha.

“Our government awards tenders through merits and not through political influence,” Seloba said.

ANC Vhembe regional chairperson, Tshitereke Matibe, said he was not aware of any document highlighting the favoured companies, as claimed by Mathivha.

Meanwhile, Seabi’s allegations have opened a can of worms for the ANC and set tongues wagging within other political organisations.

DA Limpopo leader, Jacques Smalle, said he intended to open cases of fraud against the ANC provincial secretary and further report the matter to Thuli Madonsela at the office of the Public Protector. “Seabi does not seem fit to hold public office and must just do the honourable thing and resign while he still can,” was Smalle’s observation.

EFF Limpopo leader, Mike Mathebe, said the current leadership of the ANC was more corrupt than that of Mathale. He said under the stewardship of Seabi, the ANC was capable of stealing sugar from tea. “Their aim from day one was to loot Mathale’s leftovers and become wealthy before their terms of office expired,” Mathebe alleged.

Political analyst, Elvis Masoga, said it was morally, ethically and legally wrong to award tenders to service providers because of their political links to ANC bigwigs. He said this type of method hampered development and promoted the escalation of shoddy work.

The ANC in Limpopo distanced itself. “The ANC in Limpopo denies the allegation that some document handwritten by our provincial secretary gave instructions to the then municipal manager of Thulamela on the awarding of tenders. Only handwriting experts can make such comparisons.

“As an organisation, we uphold the principle that tenders are governed by regulations and relevant legislation as enabled by the ANC government. So these allegations could be neither here nor there,” ANC provincial spokesperson, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said.