ANC TO APPEAL RULING ON DA SMS

The African National Congress today instructed its legal representatives to appeal the judgement delivered last week at the South Gauteng High Court on the matter relating to the SMS issued by the DA following the release of the Public Protector's Report into the security upgrades at the President's residence in Nkandla.

The ANC believes that the Acting Judge Hellens erred in his application of the Electoral Act by being guided by defamation laws in what was electoral matter.

The ANC believes in robust political discourse and in-depth interrogation of issues. However, we maintain that the Electoral Act and the Electoral Code exact a high standard of compliance during elections. The robustness or fierceness of political discourse is required to be rooted in the truthfulness of its content.

Like other established democracies South Africa prohibits the publication of false information  by any party in order to influence the conduct or outcome of an election.

The African National Congress is confident that a higher court, in this instance the Electoral Court of South Africa, will reach a different conclusion on this matter.

Statement issued by Jackson Mthembu, ANC national spokesperson, April 7 2014

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