ANC GAUTENG WELCOMES IEC DISMISSAL OF MALICIOUS DA COMPLAINT AGAINST MAYOR PARKS TAU

Johannesburg, 30 July 2016

The ANC in Gauteng welcomes the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC)’s dismissal of the nonsensical complaint against Johannesburg Mayor Parks Tau by the Democratic Alliance.

Mayor Tau's indisputable record of service delivery for the people of Johannesburg in the past five years is obviously too much for the DA to handle. Their foolish attempt to equate their weak candidate with Mayor Tau has failed and thus they resort to desperate cheap measures. 

Not only has Mayor Tau and his administration improved the lives of the people of Johannesburg, they have also improved the financial standing of the City. This has improved investor confidence, and has been recognized by global ratings agencies such as the Fitch Rating Agency and Moody's Investors Service.

The DA is running a desperate and fabricated propaganda campaign to trick the public, including the immoral use of late ANC icons who died unapologetically ANC members in good standing. The unwavering support of the of the ANC by late President Nelson Mandela and our late leader and stalwart Walter Sisulu is well-documented. 

The morally bankrupt complaint by the DA was that the advertisement of the City’s milestones and achievements is electioneering. Advertising government successes is commonplace in all spheres of government to communicate successes and improve public confidence. This is done in the DA governed City of Cape Town yet the party has as far as we are aware, has no lodged any such complaint against its Mayor Patricia De Lille. 

The advertisement was first released in March 2016 –  long before the date of the local government elections was announced by President Jacob Zuma.

Why did the DA fail to lodge their rancorous complaint then, but waited until July 2016? This vindictive act has been confirmed by the IEC, who have stated that: "the advert complained of appears to be in the course and scope of the Johannesburg Metropolitan Council’s operations."

The IEC further declared that “the advert complained of does not constitute an abuse of power and the contravention of the provisions of Clause 9 of the Electoral Code of Conduct”.

ANC lives! ANC leads! Parks Tau for mayor!

Statement issued by ANC Gauteng Communications, 30 July 2016