Opposition Leader Tony Leon has predicted that many of the ruling ANC's supporters could stay away from municipal voting stations because of the ongoing twin problems of corruption and mismanagement in local councils.

Addressing a banquet in Polokwane to mark the launch of his party's election manifesto, Leon said those who believed the ANC could clean up the rot might as well believe a crocodile could become a vegetarian. He said the recent trip by Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka to the United Arab Emirates had blown a giant hole in the ANC’s election promises, and had also highlighted the problem of so-called soft corruption at every level of government.

“The ANC believes public money is there to be spent on its leaders, their families and friends, rather than on delivering services to the people,” the DA leader complained.

He described “hard corruption” as the acceptance of bribes in return for political favours. Deputy President Jacob Zuma was dismissed on such charges, and now faced serious charges of fraud.

In Limpopo, the ANC raised R3,5 million by offering local business leaders the opportunity to share a table with prominent personalities at R100 000 a time, while municipal officials had sold RDP houses illegally. In addition, the corrupt mayor of Tubatse had been allowed to stay on as a councilor for two years after being dismissed for fraud.

Five provinces had failed to spend even half of the R75 billion allocated to them by the national government to improve service delivery, Leon claimed.