Is Letsema another Operation Hlasela?

 
The African National Congress (ANC) launched the much-talked-about Letsema in a wet and muddy Mangaung on Saturday. 
 
According to the party’s president Cyril Ramaphosa the reason why this project was launched in Mangaung is that the ANC was founded in Mangaung in 1912 while many say the president is trying to cement and secure his second term in the upcoming national conference. 

Ramaphosa said the country faced many issues that needed to be dealt with and the ANC leadership was geared to act.
He was speaking at the Letsema campaign launch in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
The initiative was aimed at renewing the organization’s social contract with communities.

Ramaphosa moved to ensure residents that government would root out corruption.
 
Though much is not said about Letsema the little availed information about it, was a social media post on Free State ANC and it reads, “The purpose of Letsema is about the renewal of the organization’s social contract with communities to address their challenges in a quest to build better & safer communities.”
 
Prior to the launch, the president handed Lerato keys to her new house in Hillside after their house burned down and thanked Free State Premier, Sefora Ntombela, and the under-fire Mangaung, Executive Mayor, Mxolisi Siyonzana for their contribution.

 
Furthermore, the president said the Executive mayor will employ Lerato while her two brothers will receive help.
 
WATCH:

It’s not clear if the house was built with state resources but if it is presented by the Premier it’s safe to assume that the resources used were from the government, not the ANC. ANC has in the past struggled to pay salaries so where will it get money to do government work?

It remains to be seen if Lerato’s employment will be linked to the politician term as recruitment processes are not followed.

Step UP SA News found similarities between Letsema and Operation Hlasela which were championed by the former premier and the suspended secretary-general of The ANC, Ace Magashule with the difference being the latter was a government project while the former is a party project.
 
Hlasela has sent hundreds of not privileged students to universities both locally and globally. A few weeks ago we published an article about five medical doctors who won a court case against the Health Professionals Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and Medical and Dental Board Professionals (MDBP) that ruled the bodies must register them as Doctors following their studies in China. They received bursaries from the Free State government when Ace was the Premier.
 
Despite all positive stories former Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela in her report titled State and Party Colours found the Free State government guilty of conflating state and party interests with its multi-million rand Operation Hlasela project.
 
The project, which was run out of Free State Premier Ace Magashule’s office, was used by the provincial government as a service delivery vehicle.
 
Madonsela said she could, however, not find “beyond reasonable doubt” that state funds were used for the private Hlasela initiative.
 
The investigation into Operation Hlasela was sparked by a complaint laid by all the opposition parties in the provincial legislature at the time and several others from members of the public during a public engagement session in the Free State.
 
Her finding allegation of the conflation of party and state:
 
The allegation of the conflation of party and state is substantiated.
 
Regardless of the intention and separate ownership, separate sources of funding for initiatives, branding, and marketing of the two were indistinguishable and were marketed and lauded on government platforms.
 
It did not only confuse the public; the government itself used state communications resources to promote and laud both without always distinguishing the two.
 
Until two Hlaselas were distinguished, the private one cannot be said to have not benefited from the shared branding and the free advertising of the Government’s Operation Hlasela, at state expense.

Much as those in the ANC claim Letsema is a party project why is the Premier and Mayor involved in their official capacity not as deputy president of ANCWL and ordinary member respectively?

Will the Premier go hand over a house in Fauna to an FF+ member?

The president said businessmen also contributed and who those businessmen are and who requested help from them will be followed up.

Moroadi Cholota is hunted by HAWKS for asking Igo Mpambani for donations. Connect the dots, must we teach you everything?
 
The launch of Letsema saw potholes fixed but it remains to be seen if it was just a PR exercise.

Sello Pietersen, spokesperson to the Free State Premier, Sefora Ntombela, and Oupa Khoabane, spokesperson for the Interim Provincial Committee did not respond to our questions.

If you have news or tops please email us news@stepupsanews.co.za or sent a WhatsApp 0685000246