JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s official opposition, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has leveled accusations against the ruling African National Congress (ANC), alleging violations of the Electoral Code of Conduct by enlisting the support of Zimbabwe’s ZANU-PF in its campaign for the upcoming May 29 elections.
Reports indicate that the ANC has sought assistance from Zimbabwe’s governing party not only for its election campaign but also to participate as an observer mission during the electoral process.
In a strongly worded statement, DA spokesperson Solly Malatsi condemned the ANC’s actions as a desperate bid to cling to power through any means necessary. Malatsi asserted:
“In its desperate attempt to hang on to power by any means necessary, the ANC is co-opting the SADC region’s electoral outcasts – ZANU-PF, to come and assist them contaminate South Africa’s electoral processes in the lead up to the general elections on 29 May.”
Malatsi further criticized the ANC’s invitation to ZANU-PF, labeling it as political interference in South Africa’s elections and a breach of the Electoral Code of Conduct. He argued that ZANU-PF’s tainted record in Zimbabwe, marked by electoral malpractice and governance failures, disqualified it from any role in South Africa’s electoral process.
“The DA will be lodging an official complaint with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) over this direct political interference in the election and the potential harm that it could bring to the credibility of the outcome,” Malatsi affirmed.
Drawing attention to ZANU-PF’s controversial re-election of Emmerson Mnangagwa in 2023, Malatsi highlighted scathing assessments by observer missions, including the SADC Election Observer Mission, which noted serious shortcomings in Zimbabwe’s electoral process.
Despite these findings, Malatsi accused ANC’s Cyril Ramaphosa of endorsing Mnangagwa’s re-election and suggested a nefarious agenda behind ANC’s collaboration with ZANU-PF.
“It’s now clear why he rushed to endorse this sham election – the ANC had already made up its mind that they were going to coopt ZANU-PF in their nefarious plan to interfere in South Africa’s electoral process,” Malatsi remarked.
Emphasizing the DA’s commitment to preserving the integrity of South Africa’s elections, Malatsi pledged to take every measure necessary to prevent ZANU-PF from interfering in the electoral process. He reiterated that ZANU-PF’s history of electoral manipulation in Zimbabwe would not be tolerated in South Africa.
As the political landscape heats up in the run-up to the elections, the accusations leveled by the DA against the ANC underscore the deep-seated tensions within South Africa’s political arena.
With both parties gearing up for a contentious electoral battle, the role of external actors, particularly ZANU-PF, has become a focal point of contention, raising concerns about the fairness and transparency of the electoral process.
