Africa-Press – South-Africa. The GOOD party has accused the African Restoration Alliance (ARA) of trying to buy votes from residents in a hotly contested by-election in Ward 56, Cape Town.
GOOD reported the ARA to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).
Over the weekend, political parties were out in full force to try and woo residents of Ward 56 ahead of the upcoming by-election, which is expected to be a fierce political battle for control of the coloured vote.
Former Ward 56 DA councillor Helen Jacobs resigned in November last year after being elected in 2016, paving the way for the by-election.
Seven political parties will contest the by-election in the ward, including the Patriotic Alliance, GOOD, EFF, ARA and Al Jama-ah. The DA missed the IEC deadline to submit a candidate.
GOOD said as part of its campaign, the ARA promised residents in a Facebook post their homes would be painted if they voted for the party.
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City of Cape Town councillor Jonathan Cupido added: “GOOD has submitted a complaint with the Independent Electoral Commission [sic] in light of the blatant violation of the code of conduct of elections by the ARA. The matter is also with our legal department for further investigation.”
The Facebook post shows workers painting a home with the caption: “This is what ARA can do… Vote for ARA, vote for restoration.”
The ARA’s PR councillor in the City, Grant Classen, refused to confirm or deny GOOD’s allegations.
He said the GOOD must “sort out their sex scandals in-house instead of looking at the restorative work [the] ARA is doing”.
“Bad leaders corrupt GOOD [party] youth. We are interested in making SA great again. Why have they never done this before with their own money as ARA is doing?”
An IEC spokesperson said: “The IEC has acknowledged receipt of the complaint and is in the process of considering same. The consideration of this matter has not reached finality, and the IEC is accordingly not able to advise in relation hereto.”
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