EFF WELCOMES THE ELECTORAL COURT'S DECISION ON OUR TSHWANE COUNCILLOR CANDIDATE, THABO MABOTJA

29 July, 2016

The EFF welcomes the decision of the Electoral Court against one of our Councillor Candidates in Tshwane, Thabo Mabotja on a matter brought to him by the Independent Electoral Commission. The court ruled that the EFF Candidate's social media statement constituted a bridge of the Electoral Code of Conduct in relation to the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination, and disqualified him as a candidate (see Maroela Media report). 

We therefore call on all EFF candidates to respect the Electoral 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. As an organisation, we have complained about many violations of the Electoral Code of Conduct 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.

In Mpumalanga, the ANC leadership in the Region of Mbombela is on record owning the acts of violence that were in clear violation of the Electoral Code of Conduct. Ngrayi Ngwenya, the Regional Secretary of the ANC unequivocally defended the violent disruptions of the EFF campaign and continued to promise that they will do the same in the future. Here, one of the EFF supporters 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. 

This leaves us with no other option but to assume that to the IEC, black lives do not matter. It matters little if their rights are disrupted, lives harmed or if they kill each other or die; it does not constitute any urgent matter even if blood is spilled. 

Indeed, indeed for the first time the IEC has acted decisively since 1994 and disqualified a candidate, is with the EFF in defence of white people as a group. They used the electoral Code of Conduct based on a social media statement whose effects and impact never materialised to send a clear message that "white lives matter". They are telling us that even a mere suggestion of harm on white people will be pursued and crushed with the full might of the law.

Statement issued by the Economic Freedom Fighters, 29 July 2016