DA, MK Party accuse Ramaphosa of using ‘family meeting’ to campaign

As the race for votes nears its climax, the DA has filed papers with the Electoral Court, accusing President Cyril Ramaphosa of using his power to campaign for the ANC during his address to the nation.

Ramaphosa called a family meeting on Sunday to speak on the general elections this week and the conclusion of the sixth administration.

The 2024 elections bring an end to the turbulent sixth administration, which saw the likes of the state capture inquiry, COVID-19, and the 2021 July unrest.

The DA says Ramaphosa violated the Electoral Code of Conduct.

They want him to pay a fine of R200 000 and have the votes cast for the ANC to be reduced by 1%.

DA leader, John Steenhuisen, says Ramaphosa’s move signals that the ANC is prepared to undermine constitutional democracy in a bid to cling to power.

“If Ramaphosa is willing to abuse his office for narrow political gain even before the ANC has lost its majority, what else will he be willing to do to subvert the will of the people and cling to power after voters take away the ANC’s majority on Wednesday?”

Former president, Jacob Zuma’s MK Party agrees with the DA and has also approached the courts.

BREAKING NEWS:
MK Party has filled an urgent court application against Ramaphosa and ANC to the Electoral Court for abusing his privilege as President to address the nation on ANC campaign using SABC and other State Resources pic.twitter.com/Ur0h9iji38

— uMkhonto WeSizwe Party (@MkhontoweSizwex) May 28, 2024

Former Public Protector, Advocate Thuli Madonsela, has come out to defend the President.

She believes he didn’t violate any law nor rules.

“No party was attacked or advertised. Only administrative information was provided.”

The president’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, says the DA’s move has demonstrated the party’s intolerance and contempt for a democratically elected Head of State.

This is not true @Our_DA. You know no law or rule were violated. The President has a right and duty to address the nation. There is no prohibition in the code of conduct. No party was attacked or advertised. Only administrative information was provided. One could say it’s abuse…

— Prof Thuli Madonsela #KindnessBuilds (@ThuliMadonsela3) May 27, 2024

Political analyst, Goodenough Mashego says the allegations that the President was campaigning for the ANC are baseless.

He says the ANC has very little to campaign about, adding that the president had to take the country into his confidence.

“It was about time that he explained to the country some of the failures which are corruption, water-shedding, load-shedding and many other things.”

“The ANC can’t talk about building houses or connecting people to the power grid, it can’t talk much about corruption. The people who are going to be voting on Wednesday, the evidence is there in front of their eyes.”

Mashego says the time for the ANC to campaign has long passed.