While fears over food parcel shortages mount across the country, an ANC member of the Mpumalanga provincial legislature has been accused of diverting packages to her home, allegedly for patronage and electioneering.

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It's alleged that the food parcels were part of the South African Social Services Agency's (Sassa's) relief efforts aimed at helping the poor stave off hunger during the Covid-19 national lockdown.

Jeaneth Thabethe, who is also a member of the ANC's provincial executive committee and the chairperson of the legislature's social development committee, has denied the claims.

She said the allegations were an attempt to discredit her by her own comrades and the EFF, ahead of her party's crucial provincial elective conference.

This is despite the conference being placed on ice as a result of the lockdown.

"The EFF is lying. If they had proof, why has it not posted it on social media? They would have posted videos on social media by now, and my own comrades are involved here. We are busy painting each other, lying about one another unnecessarily," said Thabethe.

Sassa told News24 that it was aware of the claims and had launched an internal investigation into one of its own directors in the province, Kedibone Mathebula, who has been accused of authorising the delivery of food parcels to the homes of legislature members.

"These allegations are taken seriously by the organisation, and all Sassa officials are expected to work with every member of the community without looking at any political affiliation," national spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi told News24.

The EFF, which is the main opposition in the province, first made the claims against Thabethe on social media. It also opened a case against Thabethe and Mathebula at the Mbombela police station this week.



'People are politicising the wrong things'

EFF provincial chairperson Collens Sedibe said they had opened "criminal and corruption" cases.

Other ANC members at different levels of government, including in the Eastern Cape and Polokwane, have faced similar allegations in recent days.

Thabethe said, while it was not unusual for her to ask for donations to assist with the most vulnerable in her community, she would never divert much needed resources from those in need.

"People are politicising the wrong things. I am a person who houses orphans at her home. As I speak to you right now, I am on my way to helping children who are sick," she said.

She said those in strategic positions should be able to assist where possible, admitting that she did ask for help when it came to feeding the hungry. But she vehemently denied that this included getting a Sassa truck to deliver food packages to her home.

"I have been doing this for 10 years. I help people. I am not disputing that I distribute food parcels, but I buy them with my own money. I use my own credit card," said Thabethe.

'Our comrades are using lies'

The ANC member is said to belong to a faction referred to as "ngci" ("that' s it"), which is aligned to David Mabuza, the powerful former provincial chairperson and now deputy president of both the party and the country.

ANC members in the province have been locked in a fierce battle to replace Mabuza since he ascended to national office in the party in 2017. Several ANC meetings have been marred by violence.

READ | Violence rocks ANC meetings in Mpumalanga

"I have a passion for the vulnerable. Our comrades are using lies to deal with politics. I don't really want to go there because even Mandla is our comrade," she said referring to the acting provincial chairperson Mandla Ndlovu.



Ndlovu, who was once a strong Mabuza ally and provincial secretary, is understood to want the chairperson position on a permanent basis.

He is likely to face off with Mpumalanga Premier Refilwe Mtshweni for the party's most senior post in the province.

"Mandla has the right to contest, its constitutional, even in the ANC, that's our culture. I think the issue here lies with his supporters. They take everything personally and are now creating a lot of stories about some of us," said Thabethe.

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