The DA in KwaZulu-Natal Legislature has accused Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) members of having an election hangover, urging the Speaker to reprimand the party for continuing to mislead the public about the rigging of last year’s election results. 

In a statement issued by the DA’s chief whip, Dr Imran Keeka, he accused the party of continuing to peddle lies about election results fraud. He said every time the party took to the podium for a debate, it started regurgitating from its disinformation handbook over the outcome of last year’s general election – and even declaring, yet again, that it was rigged

The DA said this is an abuse and breach of legislature privilege. As a result, the DA has written to the provincial Speaker for a formal ruling on the matter.

“The May 2024 elections were declared free and fair. The MKP leader’s threat to pursue the matter in court was a flash-in-the-pan, which did not receive a moment before an Electoral Court magistrate. The DA is concerned that, despite the facts, KZN’s MK members stand on a lawful platform and dispense false information.

“We are of the view that the legislature rules protect against creating false narratives within the House – and ultimately within the public domain. Lies such as those peddled by the MK have the potential to cause serious harm to our democratic progress,” said Keeka.

The DA said South Africans need to work to protect their hard-won democracy and condemn any attempt to create unnecessary distrust, which could spiral into decreased voter turnouts and weakened democratic systems, where voter apathy is already rife.

“As part of KZN’s Government of Provincial Unity (GPU), the DA believes that while there is still a long way to go to fix what is broken, we cannot allow constitutional delinquents – by their admission – to deconstruct what is considered a functional democracy,” concluded Keeka.

The MKP hit back, saying it is the DA that is still bitter that it recently snatched its Ward 110 in Durban North areas, something the DA never dreamed would happen.

The MKP deputy provincial coordinator, Shirley Willemse, said their party members in the legislature are not taking instructions from the DA, therefore, they would not be told by the DA what to say during debates in the House.

“It is the DA that has an election hangover after snatching its ward in eThekwini. Those white people living in Durban North suburbs are not happy that they would be serviced by an MKP councillor,” said Willemse.

After last year’s election, the MKP complained that the results were rigged and filed a case challenging them in the Electoral Court, however, the party withdrew it but continues to claim the elections were not free and fair.

willem.phungula@inl.co.za

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