ANC denies running secret R50 million election smear campaign
The ANC has rejected claims in a court bid to recover R2.2 million that it issued a R50 million covert propaganda campaign ahead of the 2016 municipal elections, and has distanced itself from anyone involved.
The claim was made as part of a court bid by one of the people involved in the alleged campaign, detailing how the ANC hired a covert team to operate in what it called “The War Room”, which was specifically tasked with discrediting opposition parties, and pushing pro-ANC propaganda.
The case was brought against the ANC by public relations expert Sihle Bolani, who claims she is owed R2.2 million for work done as part of the campaign.
The ANC said that it did not need to pay for covert campaigns because it could rely on its track record of changing people’s lives for the better in South Africa.
“The African National Congress has always been and remains committed to running clean campaigns in all the elections we have participated in since 1994. This is because of our utmost confidence in the superiority of the ideas of the ANC, working with our people, to improve their lives for the better,” it said.
It said that any activities that Bolani (and other parties mentioned in the court battle) may have been party to, were not known, sanctioned or supported by the ANC.
Fake posters
While much of South Africa’s laws around party funding and campaigning is unregulated, one aspect mentioned in the report could land the ANC in trouble if proven to be true.
In correspondence seen by amaBhungane, it is mentioned that part of the smear campaign would be directed to creating ‘fake’ posters mimicking opposition parties’ campaign posters, and putting them in a negative light.
R10,000 was to be spent on these fake posters, and according to Bolani, one design saw EFF leader Julius Malema holding an assault rifle, calling for EFF supporters to take up arms.
If this is proven to be true, it is in breach of the Municipal Electoral Act, which prohibits the publishing false information with the intention to influence the conduct or outcome of an election.
Responding to the amaBhungane report, EFF national spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi was quick to point out the poster in question, saying it was proof that the ANC had acted as the court case said.
Contrary to the ANC’s claim that the case was thrown out, in a ruling on Tuesday, the High Court dismissed the urgency of the case only, and set the issue to be heard at a later date.
Read the detailed amaBhungane report here.
Read: ANC’s secret R50 million election smear campaign exposed: report
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