Thousands of fake ANC members have allegedly been discovered in KwaZulu-Natal, The Times reported on Tuesday.
An ANC councillor in Pongola, in northern KwaZulu-Natal, told the Moerane Commission of Inquiry on Monday that 4,000 ANC membership cards with a fake party stamp had been discovered in the Zululand region. The commission is investigating the cause of political killings in the province.
The councillor, Nqaba Mkhwanazi, reportedly said the matter had been escalated to ANC secretary-general, Gwede Mantashe, for further investigation. He said he believed that the cards came from ANC Youth League branches.
ANC provincial spokesperson Mdumiseni Ntuli told The Times that the list had been investigated and those implicated had been given an opportunity to respond. About 1,000 people were thought to be involved, but there could be more, he reportedly said.
Mkhwanazi reportedly told the commission that political killings in the province were likely to increase if national leadership did not intervene soon.
A court ruling recently set aside the election of the provincial leadership in 2015, throwing the party in the province into crisis. That election saw Sihle Zikalala replace Senzo Mchunu as the provincial chairperson of the party.
News24 reported this week that a group of 261 ANC branch representatives had issued a "declaration", also seeking intervention from the national leadership.
"This will help to ensure decisive and united election victory towards 2019 national elections not only in our province but the country as a whole," they reportedly said.
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