Central SA
Allegations surround #Letsema’s generous house offer─── TSHEHLA KOTELI 15:49 Thu, 21 Jul 2022
The house handed over to a Bloemfontein resident, Lerato Ntsaku, during the launch of the ANC Nationwide Letsema Campaign led by the party’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, was allegedly paid for by the Free State Provincial Government.
The allegation was made earlier on Thursday by the DA’s leader in the Free State, Roy Jankielson, that Ramaphosa, together with the provincial premier, Sisi Ntombela, who were present at the handover, have created the impression that the ANC has paid for the house. The property was allegedly allocated to Ntsaku as the beneficiary of the Free State Provincial Government and the alleged cost was over R130 000.
ALSO READ: #Letsema: Free State family receives new home
It all started on 23 April 2022, when the ANC launched the Letsema Campaign, which is aimed at dealing with the shortfalls of service delivery and corruption, and also reconnect residents with the party moving forward.
At the beginning of the launch, Ramaphosa, Ntombela and other ANC members, including ministers, MECs, mayors, and councillors made a turn to hand over Ntsaku’s house, with a little furniture. The reason for her getting a new house at Hillside View, was explained. It was said the old house where she and her family resided had partly burned down. Ntsaku will be living with her two brothers and two children at her house, which is allegedly worth R133 000.
Jankielson stated that the ANC has created an impression – through their social media posts (and also handing it over during the Letsema launch) that the ANC is the one who has delivered the house, not the Free State Provincial Government. He has also alleged that the ANC has made no attempts to remedy the perception that the house was paid for by the ANC and not the provincial government. “The MEC of the Department of Cooperative Governance, Traditional Affairs and Human Settlements (Cogta), Mxolisi Dukwana, confirmed in a question in the legislature that the house was handed over as part of the Letsema Campaign,” he added.
The DA in the province is calling on the Public Protector to investigate the spending of state resources by the ANC. They are of the view that there will be findings similar to the report of Operation Hlasela, when the Free State provincial government’s funds were allegedly used to fund Operation Hlasela by the ANC. Jankielson concluded by saying that the R133 000 that allegedly bought the house, must be paid back and a public apology must be given for allegedly abusing state resources, among other remedial actions.
An enquiry was sent to the parties involved for comments.
