Helen Zille must apologise for false statement and be investigated

The ANC Western Cape has instructed its attorneys to demand from DA leader Helen Zille to retract and apologise for her false statements against the ANC and certain members of the ANC in newspapers.

The ANC also had an urgent complaint lodged against DA leader Helen Zille at the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa for violating the Electoral Act as well as the agreed code of conduct (see both letters below).

The ANC reserves it rights to take any further action(s) in this regard.

ANC Western Cape secretary Songezo Mjongile

***

Letter from Sohn and Wood Attorneys, acting on behalf of the ANC Western Cape, to DA leader Helen Zille, April 11 2014:

11 April 2014

Dear Mrs Helen Zille

RE: INFRINGEMENT OF ELECTORAL ACT NO. 73 OF 1998 & ELECTORAL CODE OF CONDUCT

We refer to the above and wish to inform you that we act for the party representatives and/or electoral candidates of the African National Congress Western Cape.

Our instructions are as follows:

1. On the 08 April 2014 certain false accusations were made by yourself directed at the chairman of the African National Congress Western Cape and published in the Cape Times and the on the 09 April2014 as per newspaper clip herewith marked as annexure u  CT1''.

2. The false statements made by yourself in the article contained allegations that the Chairman Mr Marius Fransman had remunerated Mr Grant Pascoe a former member of the Democratic Alliance a package of R 1 million and a new car in return that he would cross to the ANC, also that another member of the Democratic Alliance was offered R200 000 upfront and a further salary of R800 000 per annum if he/she were to join the ANC.

We wish to inform you that these statements made by yourself constitutes a clear violation of the provisions contained in the Electoral Act and the Electoral Code of Conduct more specifically sections 89(1) & (2) of the Electoral Act and section 9(1)(b) of the Code of Conduct.

We hereby demand that you publicly apologise to the party representatives and/or electoral candidates concerned in the Cape Times and the Cape Argus and retract those false statements published by no later than the close of business on Tuesday 15 April2014, failing which we will immediately take action and obtain the appropriate relief.

Yours faithfully

SOHN AND WOOD ATTORNEYS

Signed

 GRAEME VELDSMAN

Letter from Sohn and Wood Attorneys, acting on behalf of the ANC Western Cape, to Electoral Commission, Western Cape, April 11 2014:

11 April 2014 Dear Sir

GEOFFREY MAMPUTA

WESTERN CAPE PROVINCIAL OFFICE

"Without Prejudice"

RE: INFRINGEMENT OF ELECTORAL ACT N0.73 OF 1998 & ELECTORAL CODE OF CONDUCT

We refer to the above-mentioned matter and wish to inform you that we act on behalf of the party representatives I electoral candidates of the African National Congress Western Cape.

We hereby lodge a formal complaint and request that an inquiry be conducted into the conduct of Mrs Helen Zille the Chairman of the Democratic Alliance and/or Premier of the Western Cape for directing certain false accusations at the chairman of the African National Congress Western Cape.

Further she had such false accusations published in the front page of the Cape Times on the 09 April 2014 attached herewith is the articles contained in the newspaper clipping of the Cape Times marked as annexure "CT 1".

The false statements made by the premier contained allegations that the Chairman Mr Marius Fransman had remunerated Mr Grant Pascoe a former member of the Democratic Alliance a package of R 1 million and a new car in return that he would cross to the African National Congress.

Mrs Zille then went on to state that another member of the Democratic Alliance was also offered R200 000 upfront and a further salary of R800 000 per annum if he/she were to join the ANC.

We wish to inform you that the false statements made above by Mrs Helen Zille are in direct infringement of section 89(1) & (2) of the Electoral Act no. 73 of 1998 and section (9)(b) of the Code of Conduct.

Due to the election being on our door step we require you to look into the matter as one of extreme urgency and request that the appropriate sanction be imposed on the perpetrator for violating the relevant provisions in the electoral code of conduct.

Yours faithfully

SOHN AND WOOD ATTORNEYS

Signed

 GRAEME VELDSMAN

Issued by the ANC Western Cape, April 16 2014

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter