ActionSA has taken note of media reports alleging that the Free State Provincial Government and the Mangaung Metro Municipality may have used public funds and state resources to bankroll an ANC political event, misleadingly presented as a heritage celebration.
The reported event, hosted in Bloemfontein under the banner “Our Heritage, Our History”, is alleged to have primarily served as an ANC political gathering, raising serious concerns about the blurring of lines between the governing party and the state.
If these allegations are true, this represents a blatant abuse of public funds and a betrayal of the people of the Free State. Taxpayers’ money is meant to improve service delivery, support struggling communities, and strengthen public institutions, not to finance ANC celebrations.
The ANC has perfected the dangerous practice of treating the state as an extension of the party. This culture of entitlement must end. South Africa is a constitutional democracy, not a party-state.
ActionSA is deeply concerned that such alleged conduct may constitute violations of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), and other applicable legislation governing the ethical use of public resources.
ActionSA therefore calls for:
• An immediate forensic audit into all provincial and municipal expenditure linked to the event.
• Full disclosure by the Free State Premier and Mangaung Metro leadership on who authorised the funding and under which budget line.
• Referral of the matter to the Auditor-General and the Public Protector for urgent investigation.
• Criminal accountability should any misuse of public funds be confirmed.
At a time when Free State residents face unemployment, failing hospitals, water shortages, and decaying infrastructure, it is unconscionable for public money to be diverted for party-political purposes.
ActionSA reaffirms its commitment to ethical leadership, transparency, and the strict separation between party and state, and will continue to expose and oppose any abuse of public resources, regardless of who is responsible.
ActionSA Condemns Alleged Misuse of Public Funds to Bankroll ANC Event in the Free State
ActionSA has taken note of media reports alleging that the Free State Provincial Government and the Mangaung Metro Municipality may have used public funds and state resources to bankroll an ANC political event, misleadingly presented as a heritage celebration.
The reported event, hosted in Bloemfontein under the banner “Our Heritage, Our History”, is alleged to have primarily served as an ANC political gathering, raising serious concerns about the blurring of lines between the governing party and the state.
If these allegations are true, this represents a blatant abuse of public funds and a betrayal of the people of the Free State. Taxpayers’ money is meant to improve service delivery, support struggling communities, and strengthen public institutions, not to finance ANC celebrations.
The ANC has perfected the dangerous practice of treating the state as an extension of the party. This culture of entitlement must end. South Africa is a constitutional democracy, not a party-state.
ActionSA is deeply concerned that such alleged conduct may constitute violations of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), and other applicable legislation governing the ethical use of public resources.
ActionSA therefore calls for:
• An immediate forensic audit into all provincial and municipal expenditure linked to the event.
• Full disclosure by the Free State Premier and Mangaung Metro leadership on who authorised the funding and under which budget line.
• Referral of the matter to the Auditor-General and the Public Protector for urgent investigation.
• Criminal accountability should any misuse of public funds be confirmed.
At a time when Free State residents face unemployment, failing hospitals, water shortages, and decaying infrastructure, it is unconscionable for public money to be diverted for party-political purposes.
ActionSA reaffirms its commitment to ethical leadership, transparency, and the strict separation between party and state, and will continue to expose and oppose any abuse of public resources, regardless of who is responsible.