By Zukile Majova
Political Editor
The ANC’s desperation for votes and relevance hit overdrive on Saturday. The party posted digital voter registration flyers with the picture of the country’s first deputy chief justice Judge Mandisa Maya.
This is the latest in a long list of ANC stunts that have crossed the line of separation between party and state.
“Don’t let your voice go unheard. Register to vote for ANC and make a difference in your community and South Africa. Visit your local voting station. #RegisterToVoteANC #ANCAtWork,” read the message posted with the ANC message along with the judge’s picture.
Justice Maya was recently recommended for the position of Chief Justice and is expected to replace Justice Raymond Zondo as the next Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court.
The judiciary however has remained largely immune to ANC shenanigans.
President Cyril Ramaphosa recently said the judiciary was the only organ of the state that was not affected by 10 years of state capture under the Jacob Zuma regime.
When the ANC posted the Justice Maya flyer, there was an immediate outcry on social media platform X (Twitter) with South Africans asking the ANC if it had secured prior approval to use the image of Justice Maya.
Nelisiwe Msoming asked: “Do you guys have her permission to use her picture like this?”
The flyer was immediately removed from the party’s page but the damage was done.
In the run-up to the voter registration weekend (18-19 November), the ANC has been accused of crossing the line between party and state.
Councillors in the City of Jo’burg and members of the Gauteng Legislature have complained about blatant ANC promotion during the recent erection of new transformers in various townships.
Also in Gauteng, ActionSA’s provincial chairperson, Funzi Ngobeni is accusing Premier Panyaza Lesufi of using the youth employment programme dubbed Nasi Isipani as the abuse of state resources to campaign for the ANC.
“We have maintained and reiterated consistently that the hiring scheme is a mere PR stunt led by Lesufi, to campaign and secure votes for the ANC through the abuse of state resources,” he said in a statement.
In KZN, the IFP have been complaining about incidents where programmes of the provincial government have been turned into ANC campaigns.
Professor Kedibone Phango of the North West University recently opined that presidential imbizos that are meant to allow interaction between the public and President Ramaphosa had been turned into ANC election campaigns.
Pictured above: Mandisa Maya.
Image source: X
