A case of fraud has been opened after ballot papers from the ANC Johannesburg regional conference were discovered at a house in Pretoria in a sting operation that included the police.

This is according to ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula who was speaking after dramatic scenes that unfolded at the house in Pretoria where the police and ANC security personnel found ballot papers wrapped in a sleeping gown in the back yard.

At the scene were police, ANC security and ANC national executive committee member Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, who also serves as the country’s minister of intelligence.

The ballots are said to be from the Johannesburg regional conference that took place in December in which Loyiso Masuku was elected chair, beating Dada Morero.

Mbalula on Thursday confirmed that the ANC had opened a case of fraud. “The police will investigate and we will give them evidence that we have and witnesses. We opened a case because that is ANC property that we found there. And we followed up on the ANC property,” he said.

The allegations are of an extremely serious nature and, if proven, would have the effect of bringing the ANC into disrepute and drawing into question the credibility and integrity of internal ANC electoral processes

—  Fikile Mbalula, ANC secretary-general

Mbalula said as far as they were concerned it was unheard of for ballot papers to be kept at a house. According to ANC rules, he said, ballot boxes should be kept under lock and key for at least six months after a conference. This is done, he said, in case those who lost challenge the results in court or call for a recount.

“They are kept [sealed] in a safe place in the provincial office or in the regional office. And in terms of our guidelines they can be disposed of only after six months, because after elections there could be litigation. People can take you to court and demand that ballots be recounted and so on,” he said.

Mbalula, in a letter to Ntshavheni and the provincial and regional leadership this week, said there was prima facie evidence of wrongdoing in how the Johannesburg regional conference was run.

“This information was investigated and it was confirmed that it pointed to prima facie misconduct. Based on this information, ANC security reported the matter to the police,” said Mbalula.

According to Mbalula, the events that have occurred and the allegations made since the conference are worrying, and there may be a need for the party to lay criminal charges.

“The allegations are of an extremely serious nature and, if proven, would have the effect of bringing the ANC into disrepute and drawing into question the credibility and integrity of internal ANC electoral processes,” said Mbalula.

“Such conduct would call for the invocation of ANC disciplinary processes and, possibly also, the institution of criminal charges.”

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