Premier Mandla Ndlovu accused of using housing handovers to campaign for ANC

Political parties in Mpumalanga have accused Premier Mandla Ndlovu of using government housing programmes to campaign for the ANC prior to the upcoming elections on November 4. This allegation emerged after posters appeared on social media, featuring Ndlovu and Mpumalanga Human Settlements MEC Speedy Mashilo in ANC T-shirts, promoting a housing handover event in the Steve Tshwete local municipality.

The posters suggested that Ndlovu had conducted door-to-door campaigning in ward 20 on September 20, leading up to the scheduled housing handover on September 21 in ward 21 of the Bushbuckridge subregion.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mpumalanga has called for an investigation by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and the provincial legislature’s ethics committee. DA provincial legislature member Bosman Grobler accused Ndlovu and his administration of employing government housing handovers as electioneering platforms. Grobler stated that in recent months, the premier and Mashilo, along with other Mpumalanga government officials, had been presiding over the distribution of houses to disadvantaged families.

These events, Grobler claimed, were promoted using official government platforms, but the premier and his administration displayed the housing in ANC attire, which he believed was a clear indication that the government platforms were used for electioneering purposes. Grobler questioned why the events were advertised through official provincial government media if, as Ndlovu claimed, the houses were funded by the Mandla Ndlovu Foundation and donors.

He further questioned the legality of using government platforms for political campaigning. Themba Godi, leader of the African People’s Convention, described the alleged conduct as unethical and illegal. Godi argued that the ANC has traditionally used government programmes to promote itself, usually for show rather than as part of a systematic approach to addressing the needs of the people.

He suggested that the ANC was experiencing a decline in support ahead of the polls and was attempting to reverse the trend through desperate measures. Godi concluded by stating that the ANC's relevance and support in the province were greatly diminished, predicting a significant decrease in the party's role and position come the election day on November 4.