The reports suggested a blatant abuse of the state's R500-million fund for special poverty relief grants, DA social development spokesperson Janet Semple said on Tuesday.

In an open letter to public protector Lawrence Mushwana, she said evidence suggested "these grants are being blatantly linked to ANC election campaigning, and to hammer home a political message that you will only receive state grants if you vote ANC".

"These grants are being blatantly linked to ANC election campaigning"

If this was the case, it constituted corrupt misuse of state resources by party officials for electioneering purposes.

"In light of these reports we request that you conduct an investigation into how these grants are being distributed and whether in fact they are being used to further the political interests of the ruling party."

The DA said it has received complaints from many people over the past two months about political abuse of the poverty relief grants.

The Sunday Times reported at the weekend that ANC representatives were accompanying officials from the department of social development to hand out food parcels.

The newspaper said recipients were told to vote for the ANC, and quoted a woman from Soweto saying she was warned that she would starve if she did not back the ruling party in next week's poll.