DA concerned over FF+ contravening electoral laws

10 December 2020

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is deeply disturbed to discover that the FF+ flouted Section 58 (2b) of the Electoral Act 1998 during the Ward 66 by-election on the Bluff in eThekwini. In a seemingly brazen breaking of the law, the candidate Jason Scott-Johnson inserted himself into the Transhaven VD count process.

The Electoral Act determines that no candidate may sit in on the vote-counting process. Patently the FF+ is either completely ignorant of the law, or in its desperation to make headway in the DA-stronghold, has chosen to flout it in the hopes that no-one would notice. Indeed, it is of some concern that the IEC officials failed to recognise the candidate from the odd green poster on Bluff poles.

However, the Chairperson of the Bluff Branch, Chris van Niekerk, most certainly did.

Van Niekerk is well aware that no election candidate may sit in on the count. As such he wrote a report lodging an objection to this illegal act.

It remains to be seen whether or not Mr Scott-Johnson will be disqualified as a result of his actions.

Issued by Dianne Kohler Barnard, DA Central Durban Constituency Head, 10 December 2020