Cape Town - The DA has denied abusing state resources to campaign in the city after a picture was circulated on social media depicting what appears to be a metro police vehicle towing a DA campaign trailer.
ANC members were angry after the picture was circulated on Facebook, saying the DA continuously accused the ANC of using state resources when campaigning, but when they were caught in the act, it was swept under the carpet.
Facebook posts called for the matter to be probed, after the image, believed to have been taken during a DA electioneering programme in Nomzamo and Lwandle, appeared at the weekend.
ANC provincial secretary Faiez Jacobs said the matter was brought to their attention.
“It is not the first time that we are informed about city resources being used for the DA’s electioneering.
“If this happens elsewhere in the country, they are the first to shout from the rooftops, but now similar allegations have surfaced against them,” Jacobs said.
DA provincial chairman Anton Bredell confirmed the party had been made aware of the posts, adding that the matter was being probed to determine if the trailer was being towed by a law enforcement vehicle.
Bredell said mayoral committee member for safety and security councillor JP Smith was looking into the matter.
Smith said the ANC circulated the picture claiming that a law enforcement vehicle had towed the DA campaign trailer, which was not the case.
Rubbishing the claims, Smith pointed out that the trailer’s tow-bar was located on the opposite side of the trailer, which clearly indicates that the law enforcement vehicle could not have been towing the trailer.
“The trailer was actually backed up to the van and it was not towed by staff,” he said.
Smith also pointed out that the trailer’s wheels were too near the van and that the vehicle towing the trailer was on the other side facing away from the van.
Ripping into the ANC for using cheap political tricks to take pot-shots at the DA, Smith said: “If you are overzealous at point scoring, than you make stupid mistakes and end up making a fool of yourself.”
Cape Argus