Ballot paper discovery may be a plot to undermine Masuku: Analyst

Political commentator, Goodenough Mashego, says the discovery of ballot papers linked to the African National Congress (ANC) Johannesburg regional conference could be a deliberate attempt to discredit Loyiso Masuku’s rise to the party’s regional top position.

Several marked ballot papers from the ANC’s 2025 regional conference were allegedly found at a residence in Pretoria on Sunday.

The ballots are reportedly linked to the conference that saw Masuku elected as the regional chairperson, unseating Dada Morero.

It is reported that Morero has since written to the party’s provincial top brass, raising concerns about alleged irregularities during the conference.

Mashego says the incident underscores the existing concerns of women leading ANC structures, particularly as the party prepares for the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE), following its poor performance in the 2024 national polls.

“I think the ANC is misappropriating the legal capital that it had, because my feeling is they are thinking, look, the DA has brought in Helen Zille, a heavyweight to run for mayor, of which you know mayors are not elected, but to put a face as a potential mayor of Johannesburg,” Mashego said. “Since the DA made the announcement,  we have seen Dada Morero showing up a lot at the public works projects, revamping of Johannesburg, cleaning of these, planting of trees,  all these things.  So as a way of branding him as a potential contender for Helen Zille.”

Mashego says when Morero lost to Masuku, it really threw a spanner in the works.

“So they’re trying hard to get rid of her. And I think this finding of ballot papers is just one of those attempts to get rid of her,  as a way of thinking that with Dada Morero the ANC can do better than they do with Masuku,” he added.

Meanwhile, ANC regional secretary, Sasabona Manganye, has dismissed claims that the conference was rigged.

“Of course, the special regional executive committee resolved that the outcomes of the ANC   regional conference remain legitimate, constitutional and binding. All disputes must be must be addressed exclusively through the ANC electoral commission. The regional office bearers   are mandated to engage with SANCO and all alliance formations to safeguard and defend our alliance as we reconfigure the alliance,” Manganye said.

ANC President, Cyril Ramaphosa, says he is awaiting a detailed report on the matter and has vowed to deal with the incompetence of deployees within the ANC.