ID TO HAND AUTHORITIES EVIDENCE OF CASH OFFERS BEING MADE TO PUBLIC REPRESENTATIVES OF SEVERAL POLITICAL PARTIES TO WALK OVER TO THE NEW PEOPLE’S PARTY IN SEPTEMBER
27-05-2007 Following several of our public representatives coming forward to disclose to the ID that they together with senior members of the DA, ANC and other parties have been approached with cash offers and financial assistance in return for walking to a new political entity in September, we have decided to inform the public about this.
Following several of our public representatives coming forward to
disclose to the ID that they together with senior members of the DA,
ANC and other parties have been approached with cash offers and
financial assistance in return for walking to a new political entity in
September, we have decided to inform the public about this.
According to our members, who have been frantically calling and
informing us of these offers, they have been approached in the Cape
Metro by a controversial councillor and businessman, whose identity is
known by the ID. More than four of our Metro councillors have confirmed
these approaches.
On the Western Cape Platteland, members of other political parties
and the ID have been allegedly lured by members of a civics
organisation, whose names are also known to the ID.
According to substantial evidence we have gathered already and
which we will be sharing with the relevant authorities soon, cash is
being brought to these meetings in plastic bags. A deposit of between
R2 000 and R5 000 is being offered in cash and a further amount of
between R5 000 and R10 000 a month until September, when the window
period for defections open. The defection period is September 1 to
September 15.
In exchange public representatives are then asked to sign an
Independent Electoral Commission form stating that they will be walking
to this new party. Outrageous claims of how many people have already
signed have been made. And members of the DA an ANC have been mentioned
to the ID as being involved.
The controversial councillor and businessman has also told ID
members that prominent South Africans were in full support of starting
this new party. People are guaranteed positions in which they will
remain for two terms. They also badmouth several prominent political
party leaders, including DA national leader and Cape Town Mayor Helen
Zille.
Threats have also been made to our members that if they disclose
what is happening at these meetings they will be dealt with. A number
of our councillors now fear for their lives.
The one statement our councillors have repeated to us is that they
were told: “If someone tries to betray us, (the new party) we take your
life away and we get your seat back.” And “I will propose the death
penalty for every rat.”
About the DA the controversial councillor says: ‘A huge implosion
is taking place.’
He also says that he met with a DA national MP, who could give the
new party a lot of mileage because of his ‘Struggle credentials’.
This and other evidence will be handed over to authorities soon.
The ID thanks all its members for coming forward to disclose what has
happened so far. We are calling on other party members to do the
same.
We will be following up with our members to get further
information and we expect them to co-operate fully with any probe or
investigation both internally and externally into these cash
offers.
That is all we have to say at this stage. We will be giving the
media and the public regular updates in this regard.
