DA lays charges for assaults against DA activists
A number of DA activists have been violently assaulted by the ANC whilst campaigning for upcoming by-elections in Chatsworth.
In the first incident, DA activist Siva Nandha Dennis was campaigning at the AYS Memorial Primary School registration point and was physically attacked, sworn at and slapped by ANC representatives. This ended in a life-threatening asthma attack. A criminal case has been opened at the SAPS.
In the second case Mr Visvin Reddy - who the ANC reportedly had been suspended following his racist anti-Indian comments - was one of those involved. He allegedly tore away and removed a full registration sheet of voter details from a clipboard held by another of our DA activists, Prenelle Reddy, shouted at her and attempted to intimidate her.
In the third instance DA activist Anand Naidoo was at Seven Hills Primary School and was intimidated and sworn at.
Our activists report that ANC candidate Logan Chetty was involved in at least two of these attacks.
This behaviour is typical of what the ANC does when it feels under pressure or when it is concerned about losing an election. Its representatives become desperate and resort to violence and intimidation to try to suppress opposition. But we are not fazed. We will give our activists all the support they need, and we will continue to campaign for these by-elections unabated.
South Africa has a hard-earned democracy, and it cannot be that we respect and uphold democracy only as long as the power of one party is entrenched. The very tenet of democracy is that parties contest, win and lose elections regularly. Thuggish behaviour on the part of candidates and their cronies cannot be tolerated, and must be stamped out by our SAPS.
Not only have we laid criminal charges with the SAPS, but we have also written to the IEC informing them of the behaviour of the ANC members and their candidate, and we await their ruling on the matter.
Statement issued by Sizwe Mchunu, DA Leader in KZN, June 3 2014
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