EFF CONDEMNS SAPS FOR USING ITS VEHICLES TO TRANSPORT ANC SUPPORTERS DURING THE BY-ELECTIONS IN VHEMBE AND UMZIWABANTU MUNICIPALITIES
09 November, 2016
The EFF condemns the South African Police Service which is using its vans to help in the ANC By-Elections campaigns in Vhembe and Umziwabantu Municipalities. We can confirm that in Ward 3 of Vhembe Municipalituy in Limpopo, people were transported by ANC members with ANC T-shirts in a police van with the registration BNW 188 B and the same happened in Ward 1 of Umziwabantu Municipality in KwaZulu Natal, and a police van with the registration number - BTD 460 B was also used to transport ANC supporters to voting stations.
This is not only a direct abuse of state resources, but a corrupt and utter violation of electoral practices. It means the SAPS, who are suppose to be independent, have taken a side and are actively campaigning for the ruling party instead of guarding the elections and ensuring full support of the IEC in the interests of the Electoral Act. This risks rendering the by-elections as not free, as well as not fair. How can men and women with guns and in police uniform go around picking up civilians to vote for the ruling party? It is clear that ordinary civilians are being coerced and intimidated by the police to firstly to vote, but secondly, to vote for the ANC.
This must also be taken as a dress rehearsal on the part of the ANC for what will happen in 2019. It means the ANC will deploy the police to go around campaigning and coercing people to vote for them. It must further be collaborated with the ANC decision to withdraw South Africa from the International Criminal Court; which means the ruling party leaders will violate our electoral laws, defy our courts and the constitution with impunity, without fear of anyone.
The desperation of the ANC to win elections by any means necessary knows no limits. They have now co-opted the SAPS in campaigning for the ruling party, using SAPS uniform, guns, ammunition and vans. Opposition parties do not only have to come up against the ANC in the campaigns, but also against the gun carrying SAPS members with their vans, and who clearly have chosen sides, thus rendering our entire democratic dispensation into a mockery.
Statement issued by the Economic Freedom Fighters, 9 November 2016
