Swarts’ campaign put the ANC in the spotlight, with the party being accused of being out of touch with the daily struggles of ordinary South Africans.
Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment and ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) member Bernice Swarts has apologised for her controversial “one family, one load” campaign, which was criticised as vote-buying ahead of the local government elections.
Swarts’ campaign put the ANC in the spotlight, with the party being accused of being out of touch with the daily struggles of ordinary South Africans.
Loaves of bread
Earlier this month, Swarts posted content of herself in ANC regalia on her X social media account, handing out loaves of bread in Gauteng.
In video footage on social media, Swarts was seen addressing a group of people, saying: “When you go door-to-door campaigns, you can’t take a spreadsheet and ask people if they have water, they will beat you up.”
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‘ANC is life’
In another viral clip, party volunteers can be seen with a tray of loaves of bread, handing them out to the community.
One of the volunteers can be heard saying: “We are here from the ANC, one loaf, one family, ANC is life, so one loaf means a lot,” she said. Her remarks were followed by applause from those at the event.
Apology
In a penned open letter posted on her X account, Swarts implored South Africans to understand that her controversial gesture came from a “good heart.”
“I would like to tender an unconditional apology for the legitimate pain that the video caused. I recognise that we live in a country where millions of people live below the poverty line and where poverty continues to disproportionately affect Black African and Coloured populations.
“As an elected official, I have a Constitutional duty and a moral obligation to not only serve the people of South Africa, but to do so while protecting their human dignity. I apologise unequivocally for being linked to a video in which this dignity was not protected,” Swarts said.
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‘Not ANC initiative’
Swarts claims that the work carried out under the auspices of the Benny Swarts Foundation does, and specifically, the bread distribution campaign, is “not an initiative of the ANC”.
“The assertions that this was a campaign by the ANC have no basis in fact. The ANC did not sanction the initiative and had no knowledge of it precisely because it was not intended to be partisan in any way.”
Swarts’ stunt ignited an uproar, prompting Luthuli House to clarify details about the campaign.
“Members are reminded that acts of charity or community assistance must not be conducted using the ANC name, colours, or branding, nor should they be presented as organisational programmes when they are private initiatives,” ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bengu said, distancing the party from Swarts’ campaign.
‘Unacceptable’
Swart said there is “no question that the statements she made in the viral video are unacceptable.”
“While I did not sanction such a posture, I take full responsibility for the association of my name with the erosion of people’s dignity. I want to use this opportunity to state, without any equivocation, that I have never viewed the people of South Africa as mere voting fodder, and that I reject the use of food parcels as a campaign tool.
“It is not in alignment with who I am or the politics of the organisation that I belong to. It is not done with the purpose of canvassing votes, for not only is this unethical and immoral, but it is a gross violation of the responsibilities of a member of the ANC and an elected official serving in the Government of the Republic of South Africa,” Swart said.
ANC losing support
According to some reports, this is not the first time the ANC has been seen giving food to communities months before elections.
Since the 2016 Local Government Elections, the ANC has been slowly losing control of major municipalities, including Johannesburg, Tshwane, and the City of Cape Town.
A recent report by ANC secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, indicated that the party was losing support in urban areas, while Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the Eastern Cape still remained under firm control of the ANC.
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