ANC accuses DA of destroying, removing election posters
25 April 2019
As electioneering kicks into overdrive with a week and a half left until voting day on May 8, the ANC has accused the DA of destroying and removing their election posters.
In a statement by the ANC on Thursday, spokesperson Dakota Legoete called on the DA to come clean and admit that they had established teams whose main task is to remove or deface ANC campaign material, even if it is in violation of the Electoral Act.
"The ANC is appalled by the consistent defacing and removing of ANC campaign material across the country," Legoete said.
"ANC activists and supporters have been sharing on social media various instances of opposition supporters deliberately removing ANC election campaign posters. Initially, in the interest of stability, we regarded these actions as the behaviour of silly misguided individuals.
"However, the instances have been too many and consistent to be ignored. The removal of ANC campaign material only benefits the opposition parties."
DA must admit defacing ANC posters
Legoete said it was the ANC's contention that the DA should admit to being behind the defacing and removing of election material.
He added that the ANC has called on its members and supporters to be vigilant. When ANC supporters encounter opposition supporters removing ANC material, they must report such incidences to local law enforcement authorities, Legoete said.
"The ANC also calls upon the law enforcement agencies to also be on the lookout for these criminals."
"As the bankruptcy of the oppositions' political programme is exposed, revealing that they have nothing to offer to the South African population, it seems that they now choose to vandalise election posters," Legoete concluded.
ANC accusations are nonsense
DA national spokesperson Solly Malatsi told News24 that the ANC's accusations were nonsensical and that their party's focus was on building "One South Africa for all to remove the ANC from power and usher in a DA government".
News24 reported last Thursday that two men were arrested in Midrand for removing ANC posters.
Police spokesperson Constable Elliot Mabulane said the two men claimed to be members of the DA.
DA communications director Mabine Seabe denied any party involvement, saying that it had established the suspects were from a private company.
