Cape Town - The ANC in the Western Cape has condemned a recent incident where residents prevented ANC volunteers from putting election posters on street poles in Buffalo City.
A video was circulating on social media over the weekend showing a white man attacking ANC volunteers, trying to prevent them from putting up election posters on a pole in front of his house.
The man first shouts at the volunteers to move away from the pole, saying it was his property. The volunteers in the street refuse. The man becomes violent and charges at the volunteers, who restrain him. Profanities are exchanged.
ANC spokesperson Khalid Sayed said the ANC in the Western Cape was disgusted by the intimidation and racism.
“This is most certainly not the kind of inclusive society that we wish to build and not the spirit within which elections ought to be contested. We will most certainly look further into the matter and consider our options thereafter,” said Sayed.
According to the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC), defacing or illegally removing election posters is a criminal offence. Also, people are not allowed to prevent a political event or rally from being held, which includes the putting up of election posters.
The ANC has not yet reported the matter to the IEC or the police.
Last month, the City of Cape Town reminded political parties about the Election Poster Rules which stipulates that posters may only be attached to streetlight poles and that political parties were only allowed one poster per streetlight pole and only one additional event poste.
No posters are allowed on any other street furniture, such as bus stop signs, street name signs or traffic signal poles, electrical distribution boxes, any street furniture such as bus shelters, walls, fences, trees, rocks, or other natural features. Posters are prohibited on any bridges. Posters may not be displayed along motorway sections on the N1, N2, N7, and R300.
The City said “posters must be mounted on a board and affixed securely with stout string or plastic fastening, unless a permanent frame has been approved for this purpose. No securing material with metal wire is permitted.”