ANC national executive committee member and women’s league stalwart Bernice Swarts has penned an open letter imploring South Africans to understand that her controversial gesture of donating bread to the needy came from a good heart despite sparking widespread condemnation from critics who viewed the move as a vote-buying ploy.
Swarts, who is also the deputy minister of forestry, fisheries and environmental affairs, stirred up controversy when a video of her leading ANC volunteers on a bread distribution campaign went viral on social media platforms. One of the volunteers in the video clip could be head saying, “We are here from the ANC, one loaf one family, ANC is life, so one loaf means a lot.”
‘ANC not in it’
The bread donation drive, which was widely regarded as opportunistic, ignited an uproar that shook the foundations of Luthuli House, prompting the party to rush out in effort to douse the fires.
“Members are reminded that acts of charity or community assistance must not be conducted using the ANC name, colours, or branding, nor should they be presented as organisational programmes when they are private initiatives,” ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu had said, distancing the governing party from the controversial initiative.
Independent foundation
In her open letter to the nation, which was posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) Swartz sought to clarify that the charity initiative that sparked a row was carried out under the auspices of the Benny Swartz Foundation. “The work that the foundation does, and specifically, the bread distribution campaign, is not an initiative of the ANC,” the open letter read.
Swarts said her foundation is an “independent charitable initiative serving communities in need”, stressing that, while the good cause championed by her foundation aligns well with the values of the ANC, the party had no knowledge or involvement in the bread distribution initiative.
The viral bread distribution video turned into an instant banter cannon fodder when it hit social media streets, with the memes conveyor belt going into overdrive. Many thought that this meant the opening of the silly season floodgates, with the local government elections just around the corner.
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