Celani Sikhakhane
Minister of Water and Sanitation Senzo Mchunu has caused an uproar in the ANC after he allegedly leaked text messages of a comrade asking him for Christmas grocery money.
Phohloza Mlungisi Zungu, a prominent ANC member from Ulundi, allegedly asked Minister Mchunu to help with Christmas grocery money for his family.
In return, Zungu promised that the minister would have support from the Mzala Nxumalo region ahead of the ANC national elective conference.
Scrolla.Africa has seen the text message that was leaked to a WhatsApp group called “ANC Comrade in Arms”.
The screenshots were posted by someone calling themselves “Media and Politics” on
WhatsApp. Some members of the ANC believe Mchunu leaked the screenshots to this person.
When “Media and Politics” shared the screenshot, they claimed that this is not the first time Zungu has asked for money from ANC leaders running for positions at upcoming provincial conferences.
They alleged that Zungu had previously pulled the same stunt with MEC Nomsa Dube Ncube, Zandile Gumede and MEC Nomagugu Simelane. Zungu denies the allegations.
But the leaked message didn’t go down well with other members of the ANC, who accused Mchunu of being reckless and turning the plight of other comrades into a joke.
“Our leaders are something else. They come to us to ask help for mobilisation of branches but when they are at the top they look down on us,” said one ANC member.
“What is wrong with a comrade asking for grocery money? I think we are in trouble with the likes of Mchunu.”
Mchunu told Scrolla.Africa that he never leaked any text to anyone, claiming that he doesn’t even know who Zungu is.
“First of all I never spoke to anyone called Zungu. Secondly, I don’t leak messages in any way. I really don’t know where that message came from,” he said.
Zungu told Scrolla.Africa that he didn’t want to talk further about it as it is a smear campaign against him.
“The last time I spoke to Mchunu it was four years ago. I visited him and he served me some good meat,” said Zungu.
He said he never asked for any money from Simelane, Ncube or Gumede.
“On the issue of Dube Ncube I only called her to ask for a meeting with regard to her ANC provincial chairperson campaign but she never met us. We tried to come to Durban for her but she would not avail herself,” he said.
