Manny de Freitas, DA leader in Johannesburg South and an MP, has accused the ANC of corruption over a handover of a house to late ANC stalwart Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s former personal assistant.
On Saturday last week, ANC deputy president David Mabuza handed over a two-bedroomed house to Zodwa Zwane in South Hills, southern Johannesburg.
The handover ceremony was attended by ANC members who sang and danced as Mabuza gave Zwane a key to the house, which is alleged to have cost about R1-million. Mabuza told the house owner that it was hers “forever and ever”.
However, the DA has not taken the matter lightly.
“We have no problem with someone being on the list of housing beneficiaries, but we need to know who was on top of the list first. It is also very strange that the ANC came to the area to give [the house to] only one person who is aligned to it,” said De Freitas.
“Where was the woman on a list of beneficiaries. This is a publicity stunt done by the ANC at the expense of our poor people who have been on the waiting list, but being overlooked. We need fair processes in this regard, and the housing list for beneficiaries should be made public, not for the ANC to serve its own agenda.”
He added that it is sad that while some people wait for houses for many years, others get preferential treatment because they are ANC members.
“We see this as an act of pushing others up through the system that is being manipulated. This is an act of corruption.”
De Freitas said Faeeza Chame, a councillor for ward 57 which includes South Hills, has for years been questioning the City of Johannesburg over housing allocations, the criteria used for housing allocations, and the publication of housing lists, all of which is required by legislation.
“Since the [handover] event, councillor Chame has attempted to obtain answers to this particular housing allocation with no response. It is clear that this handover event was nothing more than an ANC stunt, as the ANC members indicated that no one outside of the people present were permitted inside the house.”
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