KZN Agriculture Financed ANC 2006 Election Campaign

January 31, 2007

The IFP contends that the ruling party, who was in charge of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs in the run-up to the 2006 local government elections, used the departmental projects to garner voter support in critical areas.

“The taxpayers’ money was blatantly used for political ends to finance an election campaign of the ruling party. This is simply outrageous,” said Leader of the Official Opposition in KwaZulu-Natal, Dr Lionel Mtshali.

It emerged from the department’s responses to the resolutions of Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) that the department initiated a fast-tracked Ploughing and Planting Programme in December 2005, shortly before the March 2006 poll.

The target areas of this development project included Phongolo, Nquthu, Nkandla, Nongoma, Estcourt and Ezinqoleni among others. “These are traditionally areas with strong voter support for the IFP. The purpose of the ANC-controlled department is clear and representative of the ruling party’s general attitude,” said Dr Mtshali.

Contact: Dr Lionel Mtshali, 083 256 4902