ANC claims DA helped 'electoral fraud' over Tshwane MMC Sheila Senkubuge
The ANC in Tshwane has claimed the DA "knew" that a former member of the mayoral committee (MMC) for transport, Sheila Senkubuge, was not a South African citizen, but registered her with the IEC nonetheless.
According to Tshwane ANC regional chairperson Kgosi Maepa, the DA did this in order to use Senkubuge in corrupt dealings in the city.
Maepa produced two different identity documents registered in Senkubuge's name.
One was "issued in 2012" and purports Senkubugwe is a naturalised citizen. However, the second ID copy purports Senkubugwe was in fact born in South Africa as the last three digits start with a zero, which is the case for those born in the country.
More confusing about the 2012 ID is that it claims she was born in South Africa, while the ID number suggests otherwise.
Maepa presented the media with an affidavit signed by Andrew Jansen van Vuuren, who was the chairman of the DA electoral college in Gauteng in 2015.
In the affidavit, Van Vuuren claims he had told the DA in 2015 that Senkubuge was not a South Africa citizen at the time, and she should not be allowed to stand for public office, as stipulated in law.
Van Vuuren also claimed Senkubuge had told the electoral college that her ID was being sorted out by home affairs, but she eventually appeared on the IEC list with a different ID number - that of a naturalised citizen - to the one issued in her name in 2012.
Maepa said: "Now there are two IDs for Sheila. [The] IEC list has a different ID and if the other ID that ends with '089' is registered with the IEC, Sheila voted twice.
"Based on the evidence in front of us, Sheila got membership of the DA fraudulently with a fraudulent ID, and the DA all along knew the membership they gave to Sheila was fraud as the electoral college in 2015 said she was a non-citizen.
"The perpetrator of this fraud is the DA, not Sheila. She only assisted them by handing in fraudulent documents. They were together in the crooked place."
Maepa said it was no surprise that after Senkubuge rose to being an MMC several shady deals were signed, including the controversial contract with GladAfrica.
"The DA is a fraudulent organisation and is corrupt. Sheila was the biggest contributor to the corruption of GladAfrica," said Maepa.
"The DA deliberately hired Sheila knowing full well she was not qualified and that she is a fraud used to pay GladAfrica and used to steal all the money.
"The facts are there. The AG report is there saying Tshwane paid GladAfrica large sums of money. And who was MMC for transport when they were paid? Sheila Senkubugwe. Connect the dots," he said.
DA spokesman Solly Malatsi said: "We consider the matter of Ms Senkubuge closed, especially after home affairs and the IEC verified the status of her citizenship."