Johannesburg – Veteran ANC leader, Reverend Frank Chikane, on Tuesday said he believed that funds laundered during the state capture project would be used to “steal the 2019 elections”.

“Some of the billions of rands have been siphoned from this country and are laundered back and used as part of a war chest to make sure that the corrupt remain in power…

“They go from branch to branch of the African National Congress and buy branches in preparations for the December conference. They will use this to continue buying people and corrupting the systems to make sure that the 2019 election is stolen,” he said.

– Read more: GuptaLeaks: The captured Presidency 

He said the main objective was to corrupt the 2019 elections.

“To those running this project, the game is over.”

He said a state of fear had been created.

“There are people who fear for their lives today, people being threatened. Some of us are beginning to live like we lived during apartheid. I am worried about who is following me.”

He said it pained him that some of his comrades, some of whom he shared the trenches with, were doing the wrong thing without fear of being caught.

Chikane encouraged public servants to resist being co-opted into the state capture project.

To those in the security services, Chikane said nobody should be given instructions and carry out an illegal order.

Collusion

“To those who are sworn to secrecy, you are not sworn to secrecy to criminality and I refuse to be sworn to secrecy for criminal activity.”

He said if ANC members failed to solve issues, it was up to South Africans.

Chikane made a plea to those who are privileged to not only solve the state capture problem, but also to assist the poor.

Earlier, Prasa’s Popo Molefe told the gathering that when he asked that the controversial locomotives tender be investigated, he was attacked by MPs.

“We placed before law enforcement agencies about 41 complaints… They have done nothing about it. They must explain to the courts and South Africans why as a state organ, fail to dislodge their duties.”

Molefe believes that there is collusion between the executive authority and those who are stealing from taxpayers.

Save South Africa’s Sipho Pityana said, “Today we must fundamentally start to turn the tide of the forces of evil in the same way that we defeated apartheid through the combined efforts of our people.”

Pityana said South Africans should come together to stop state capture.

After several speeches, the more than 400 delegates met in separate commissions to discuss a way forward.

Ahmed Kathrada Foundation’s Neeshan Balton said some of the proposals included investigating the feasibility of boycotting all Gupta linked businesses, that ANN7 be removed from DStv and that there be a demonstration in Cape Town outside Parliament on August 8, the day the motion of no confidence is tabled.