Pretoria - The EFF has welcomed the decision of the Electoral Court to disqualify its Tshwane candidate Thabo Mabotja for breaching the Electoral Code of Conduct.
Mabotja had been reported by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) for the Facebook post in which he said white people should be hacked and killed.
The court ruled that the EFF candidate’s social media statement constituted a breach of the code of conduct in relation to the promotion of equality and prevention of unfair discrimination.
The EFF subsequently called on all its candidates to respect the code of conduct and always act with restraint. “However, we note that the IEC managed to act on this complaint with speed and precision because it involved white people.
“We complained about many violations of the code by the ruling party which in some instances involved actual harm to the lives of our members. Yet, nothing to this day has been done,” said EFF national spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi.
He said in Mpumalanga, the ANC leadership in the region of Mbombela was responsible for acts of violence that were in clear violation of the Electoral Code of Conduct. One EFF supporter in the area was shot and a case was opened with the police.
‘We have not only complained in writing to the IEC, but also in meetings with them. To this day, nothing has been done, “ Ndlozi said.
IEC spokeswoman Kate Bapela said they would abide by the court ruling
Bapela said the IEC’s focus was on delivering a free and fair election and they would not be distracted from that.
Pretoria News Weekend