ANC Campaign Video Showing Gogo Receiving Single Foam Mattress Sparks Outrage Online

• A video of an African National Congress campaign in Mpumalanga is sparking reactions online due to the item given to an elderly Gogo
• The party has faced criticism in the past for some of its distribution efforts, like in March 2026, when a loaf of bread was given to families
• South Africans took to social media to weigh in on the latest video, sharing frustration with the party's campaigns ahead of elections

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.

MPUMALANGA - A video from an African National Congress (ANC) campaign in Mpumalanga has sparked a lot of reactions online after appearing to show the handover of a single foam mattress to a Gogo.

The clip, posted on X by @Zikamnyamane, with the caption ‘one house, one sponge’, has spread rapidly and shows an elderly woman dressed in ANC-branded clothing lying on a foam mattress placed on bare, dusty ground. A yellow ANC flag and a campaign vehicle could be seen nearby, as onlookers watched on as the Gogo got onto the mattress.

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The scene was read by many viewers as part of an election-linked distribution drive, and the perception that a single mattress constituted meaningful community support struck a nerve with a public already frustrated by years of poor service delivery.

The ANC has faced sustained criticism over its campaign promises and on-the-ground delivery, particularly in rural and township communities where residents say little changes between election cycles. In March 2026, a video of party members giving families one loaf of bread while campaigning for votes angered South Africans. The ANC later distanced itself from the donation.

Mzansi reacts to the Mpumalanga mattress video

South Africans had a lot to say in the replies, criticising the party’s conduct.

@Tsido_Nkaobehe wrote:

"They went from promising a prosperous economy to delivering a single mattress sponge per household. At this rate, by election day, they will be handing out single slices of bread. Sit this one out."

@MattFils40 said:

"These people have no shame at all, and this is the sign that they don't care about their community."

@Brother_718 added:

"I’m starting to think this is the opposition playing games because there is no way."

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@_Zukoh_ commented:

"It's giving ZANU-PF lena into. Straight out of Harare things."

@zwidenyapT said:

"This is pure disrespect. And our people accept this nonsense."

ANC members offer eggs to voters

Briefly News also reported about a controversial incident in Bela-Bela, Limpopo, where alleged ANC members distributed 30 eggs per family to those registering to vote.

The move ignited outrage among South Africans, who saw it as a blatant insult reminiscent of past electoral tactics that undermined voter dignity.

Source: Briefly News