A criminal case has been opened against ANC KwaZulu-Natal’s secretary-general Bheki Mtolo for illegally removing opposition parties election boards just days before the national and provincial elections.
Chris Pappas, the DA’s premier candidate for KZN, said that the party had officially laid a case against Mtolo with the Howick police after video evidence surfaced of opposition party’s members busy with the removal of their election boards.
Pappas said the party also has an witness report that clearly implicates the governing ANC’s members.
“This act is a blatant attempt by the ANC to undermine the democratic process and demonstrates their desperation and fear of the growing support for the DA.
“As the secretary-general of the ANC in the province, Mtolo is the head of the ANC administration and thus is ultimately accountable for the actions of ANC volunteers and contractors.
“The ANC’s fear of the DA’s rising popularity is evident in their actions. The people of KwaZulu-Natal deserve better than a party that resorts to such tactics. We remain committed to ensuring a fair and transparent election process.”
In addition to the criminal case launched with the police, Pappas said the party had also opened a complaint with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).
He added that the DA condemned these actions and called for a thorough investigation by the authorities to track down and apprehend those responsible.
“We believe that such behaviour is a sign of the ANC’s declining influence and their inability to compete fairly in the political arena. In a few days time, the people in KZN will have an opportunity to remove the rotten ANC and install a new government that will rescue our province.”
Reports regarding the defacing, vandalism or removal of election posters in some parts of the country have been surfacing since the countdown to the elections taking place this week.
Following the vandalism of various political parties in Mbombela recently, the IEC warned the public and members of political parties that this act was indeed a criminal offence and punishable by law with a fine or a prison sentence of up to 10 years.
The IEC’s Mpumalanga spokesperson, Thanduxolo Chembeni, was quoted as stressing that according to Section 2 Schedule 99 of the Electoral Act, as contained in the Electoral Code of Conduct prohibited anyone from destroying, removing, or defacing posters of other parties.
“On April 12, 2024, various political parties made a pledge and signed the code of conduct binding themselves to its contents. The code is binding to political parties, electoral staff and citizens, and comes into effect the day the state president proclaims the election day. Anyone affected may approach the police to lay criminal charges and must have evidence to support the allegations,” he said.
Efforts to reach Mtolo proved unsuccessful as his phone went straight to voicemail,, and questions sent to him regarding the criminal case elicited no response.
The Star