Brett Heron accused DA of voter re-registration.
Jeffrey Abrahams / Gallo Images
- The Good Party accused the DA in George of rigging votes by re-registering voters.
- However, the DA has denied the allegations.
- The Election Commission says by-elections will continue unless the court orders otherwise.
The DA says he campaigned “strongly” in the run-up to Wednesday’s by-election in George, dismissing allegations of voter registration fraud that the good party leveled against him over the weekend.
“We suggest that Good and ANC waste no more residents’ time and let us get back to work. There is work to be done to restore service delivery in these wards which has been dwindling under Good.
“Our poll in George has shown that voters are not open to paying their salaries or afraid to vote for smaller parties in the Western Cape. What they want is a party that cares about good governance and is committed to good governance,” county leader Tertois Simmers said on Monday. .
He added that parties that were “worried and wrong-footed” could express their concerns after the by-elections.
On Sunday, Judd gave evidence to the South African Election Commission (IEC), accusing the DA of re-registering voters.
Read | Heron says the DA catching its members is bad for GOOD’s stability
The party’s general secretary, Brett Heron, said voters in Thimbalithu ward, where there are no by-elections, were registered as Borkhrds voters.
“The fundamental principle of democracy is that legitimate voters are entitled to elect a representative of their choice through a free and fair process. Fraudulent election fraud by fraudulently registering voters who are not eligible to vote undermines this principle and ignores the will of the people,” Herron said.
The DA’s Tertois Simmers dismissed Judd’s claims of voter registration.
He claimed that DA members charged with voter registration admitted in affidavits that they “acted under instructions, and it was only after re-registration was completed that the fraud became apparent to them.”
He called on the Independent Electoral Commission to postpone the by-elections and conduct an audit of new registrations.
“If the allegations are proven, the Municipal Elections Law authorizes the Electoral Tribunal to impose an appropriate penalty, in the interest of free and fair elections, including ordering the cancellation of the registration of the political party,” he said.
But IEC Western Cape spokesperson Michael Hendricks said:
The by-election will continue until the court actually stops it or puts it aside or whatever the case may be.
He confirmed that the committee had received the documents and said it would respond “accordingly”.