According to ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile, the ANC has introduced a new system to try and curb the buying of votes and matters of gatekeeping.
Mashatile says that the manner in which the system works is that if a branch has a particular number of members in good standing, their names are already in the system. This means when a member goes to a BGM, they are scanned.
He did however say that there were problems with the scanners especially during load shedding, he said when BGMs are run QR codes are sent so there is not any paperwork.
According to Mashatile, the branch will then nominate someone to receive the codes and the scanner will then indicate all the members in good standing.
“So that when people come to the meeting, they can then scan their ID’s.
“So we have allowed them to scan manually not more than 10% of members, but the rest must be scanned electronically,” he said.
If scanners are giving problems there is a report line at Luthuli House where help will be offered to resolve the problems, he said that the party is confident that the system which has been introduced is fraud proof as it gives data.
“Now, how most people vote is not in control of any of us maybe they are lobbied they have been convinced, I am not aware of anybody being bought so far, so I am hoping that those who are voting out there they are voting because they are convinced that the candidates they are voting for are fit for purpose,” he said.
ANC national working committee and NEC member Gwen Ramokgopa who was with Mashatile at the media briefing at NASREC after conducting a site inspection of the venue said that the new cloud based member system has gone a long way for some of the historical problems they faced.
Ramokgopa said that the system can also be audited and there are controls, she said that the dispute process is part of the controls.
“We encourage any member in any branch who is aggrieved to use the processes and procedures that are there to test whatever concern that they have,” she said.
The Star