A POLITICAL row has erupted after the DA accused its political rivals of trying to bribe its ward councillors to resign in a bid to force by-elections in wards the ANC lost by a few votes in the local government elections.
DA Western Cape Leader Patricia de Lille claimed DA ward councillors have come forward to highlight offers allegedly made by the ANC.
Resignations by ward councillors would cause by-elections to take place where the ANC would contest the relevant ward.
De Lille said the party had requested sworn affidavits from councillors who had been approached and offered money by the ANC.
The ANC has vehemently denied the claims, dismissing them as “unfounded and devoid of truth”.
ANC provincial secretary Faiez Jacobs said that the party had been approached by disgruntled DA members, but stressed that the ANC would not resort to bribery of any kind. De Lille, however, claims that the most recent instance took place in the Cederberg Municipality, where the DA has six seats, the ANC has four and the ADC has one.
“In an effort to cause a by-election, the ANC in Cederberg has repeatedly approached DA councillors to offer them kickbacks should they resign as councillors. Should these allegations prove true, the DA will not hesitate to pursue charges in terms of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act.”
De Lille said the tactics were allegedly mandated by the ANC provincial executive committee (PEC) in the Western Cape.
“Attempting to bring about by-elections in this manner is typical of the ANC’s destructive approach. The ANC refuses to accept the will of the people who elected their DA ward candidates based on the ability to deliver,” she said.
Jacobs said they were aware of widespread unhappiness within the DA ranks, but added the party’s claims of kickbacks and bribes were “unfounded”.