Johannesburg - The African Transformation Movement (ATM) says it is weighing its options regarding attempts to get the party de-registered by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).
This comes after ANC leader in the Western Cape, advocate Winston Erasmus, in his letter to ANC Western Cape provincial secretary Neville Delport, relayed his suspicions of an elaborate plot by certain ANC leaders, including Richard Dyantyi, to get the ATM de-registered from the IEC.
Dyantyi has come under fire for his role as chairperson of the Section 194 inquiry into advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office.
Early this month, Erasmus filed an application for Dyantyi to recuse himself following revelations that he was part of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s CR7 team. He has also been accused of soliciting a bribe from Mkhwebane’s husband, David Skosana, along with the late ANC MP Tina Joemat-Pettersson and ANC Chief Whip Pemmy Majodina.
Dyantyi has denied any involvement in the scheme. However, according to Erasmus, Dyantyi, who refused to recuse himself from the inquiry, was also involved in a collaborative plot to get the ATM de-registered in 2019, alongside Erasmus, who confessed to being involved in the plot after he allegedly infiltrated the IEC.
In a letter dated August 8, 2023, Erasmus admits that he worked with Dyantyi in the plot against the ATM.
“I was made aware of the fact that Dyantyi was the CR7 campaign manager on Sunday, July 30, 2023. This gave rise to my recollection of his 2019 roles and functions within the province’s election war room, or election management team. It became obvious to me that a miscarriage of justice was taking place in our country and that our deployee, Dyantyi, was concealing it through his continuous refusal to recuse himself as the panel member and chairperson of the said inquiry,’’ Erasmus said in the letter to Delport.
Erasmus said that as part of his work in the clandestine operation to deal with the ATM, he was asked to infiltrate the electoral commission, where Ramaphosa met with a select group of people to brief them on the work of the operation dubbed the ANC Special Operation.
“I was requested by comrades Rasool and Matlakana to interview them to determine if they had a case to be made against the ATM.
“After interviewing them, I crafted a strategy that would destabilise and destroy the ATM.
“I was sent to the IEC head office to infiltrate the organisation and extract registration documents of the ATM during my employment as a researcher of the ANC legislature caucus,” Erasmus said.
Among those accused of being parties to election fraud are other top ANC leaders, including Ramaphosa.
Erasmus said this operation would damage the ANC’s integrity.
“Attached to this letter is the Nqulwane electoral court application, together with my confirmatory affidavit. This factional special operations project will damage the ANC as it will be seen as undemocratic in the coming days,’’ Erasmus added.
“I will continue to advocate for the removal of comrade Dyantyi, who seeks to fire a vulnerable member of the legal fraternity, advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane.”
Attempts to get comment from the office of the president proved unsuccessful at the time of publishing.
The Star