Voice recording of Limpopo Mayor raises the eyebrows
Mopani District Municipality Mayor, Nkakareng Rakgoale, has
found herself in hot water after the SABC got hold of a recording of her
allegedly promising bursaries for votes.
The recording was done in Sepedi but translated into English by the public broadcaster.
"When you apply for advertised positions, they will ask you: Who ate you? And you won't get anything because they don't know you.
We want to change the government because you don't know the people on that list of MEC's, but you know Nkakareng.
When your child passes, and you need bursary I will give it to you because I know you.
You must be careful so that one day you can say I've put in an MEC."
You can listen to the translated SABC News recording below:
The African National Congress (ANC) in the province says its officials are studying the leaked audio.
Provincial spokesperson, Donald Selamolela, says after studying the recording, they will call Rakgoale to explain the "content and context" of the recording.
"And also, to confirm and ascertain that she indeed own ups to the tape," says Selamolela.
Selamolela adds at this stage the party in the province cannot predict the action that will be taken against Rakgoale until the authenticity of the recording has been confirmed.
He adds the timing of the release of the recording is questionable, as the party understands the alleged tape could have been made a few months ago.
"We are questioning ourselves, why is it released now and what it seeks to achieve."
Listen below:
The South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) in the province has condemned the recording.
The organisation has described the recording as the mayor promoting factionalism within the ANC.
"Such a clip is characterised with vote buying, influence peddling and smear tactics as well as misuse of government bursary schemes meant for vulnerable students," Sanco's Sipho Dikgale says in a statement.
Sanco described Rakgoale as corrupt and her actions "eating away the future of our children."
"She is so selfish and lacks the capacity to objectively engage society on the concerns that they have, primarily because she is power hungry and consumed by greed, materialism and corruption."