FF Plus councillor candidate arrested for removing ANC election posters
· The South African
The African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal has welcomed the arrest of a Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) councillor candidate accused of removing the ANC’s election posters in the Ray Nkonyeni sub-region.
Michelle Wright was arrested on Thursday, 29 October, alongside another individual after a video allegedly showing the two removing ANC election posters circulated widely on social media.
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The pair were detained at Margate Police Station and appeared before the Port Shepstone Regional Court on Friday, 30 October.
FF PLUS CANDIDATE ARRESTED OVER REMOVAL OF ANC POSTERS
The ANC said the arrests marked an important step towards establishing the facts and ensuring accountability through due legal process.
The party said it would not tolerate electoral lawlessness disguised as political competition and this is a violation of the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) electoral code of conduct.
“The alleged removal of our campaign materials strikes at the heart of democratic participation, undermining the right of political organisations to campaign freely and the right of voters to make informed choices without interference.
“Elections must be contested through ideas, policies and service delivery records, not through intimidation, sabotage or the unlawful interference with opponents’ campaigns,” ANC KZN spokesperson Sifiiso Sonjica said.
CAMPAIGN BANNERS VANDALISED ON THE M4 IN DURBAN
In a similar incident in September, the ANC’s election posters and street-pole banners were allegedly destroyed along the M4 in Durban in KwaZulu-Natal.
The ANC eThekwini Region said the campaign material was removed from street poles in the early hours of Thursday, 3 September.
The party said all political parties have the right to campaign and advertise across the country and called on members of the public to report incidents that could undermine the electoral process.
“The vandalising of the ANC’s posters and street pole banners is the highest form of provocation and should be condemned by all peace and democracy loving people,” the party said.