On Monday, the DA in North West laid criminal charges against the ANC in North West.
According to the DA NW Provincial Chairperson, Carin Visser, “this follows a letter from the provincial ANC to local business owners in Tswaing, asking them for financial contributions to allegedly buy food parcels, in exchange for media exposure.”
Visser says the DA is also in possession of signed affidavits by local business people that the letter was followed up with a phone call from a caller who identified himself as Dakota Legoete, the Provincial ANC Secretary as well as personal visits from ANC officials.
“According to the affidavits, the officials then promised them ‘protection during protest actions’ in exchange for the mentioned financial contributions. It is extremely shocking that the ANC in this province tries to swindle money from already struggling business people,” said Visser.
She added that since April this year, businesses from over the province were looted and burned down during protest actions – forcing owners to permanently close down their shops.
“This is another serious blow to our economy as people are out of jobs due to violence. Businesses need protection irrespective of their political standing or whether they contribute to the cause of the ANC. The ANC must know that when the people of this province – and especially the business people that they tried to intimidate – go to the polls again, they will be punished for this scandalous behaviour.
“Small town businesses struggle as it is, due to infrastructure challenges and a lack of service delivery. Our people are in dire need of jobs and this cannot happen if our entrepreneurs are not protected. The DA will continue to focus on what it was elected to do. And that is to improve the lives of all the people of this province step-by-step,” she said.
In reaction to the allegations, Dakota Legoete, ANC NW Provincial Secretary, says the ANC is aware of the DA’s bribery claims.
“For their own peril, which is a consequence of their embedded white superiority, the DA can go ahead and lay a charge with the police. The ANC in Bokone Bophirima is ready for that,” said Legoete.
“As the ANC, we have been dealing with this matter with the law enforcement agencies for the past two weeks and we are prepared to continue working with law enforcement agencies to see it to finality.
“If the DA is worth a party of democracy they claim to be, just a letter asking for any form of clarity from the ANC would have been sufficient and spared them the efforts to peddle information they cannot support with facts.
“We will expose their elevated and uncontrollable levels of anxiety and desperation in court and in public,” he said.
