ANC pleads foul over billboards
Billboards along Gauteng freeways carrying the message: ‘E-tolls. Proudly brought to you by the ANC’ has angered the African National Congress (ANC).
JOHANNESBURG – The ruling party claimed the billboards, which the Democratic Alliance (DA) has taken responsibility of, were in violation of electoral laws and approached the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) for a ruling.
However, DA candidate for Gauteng Premier Mmusi Maimane questioned, “What is the ANC’s problem with the billboard? Is the ANC ashamed of E-tolls all of a sudden?”
Maimane said the message on the billboards were accurate and did not understand why the ruling party had a problem with the message. He said, “The ANC is panicking now because it knows that the public don’t want e-tolls. And with good reason: E-tolls will make people poorer and cost jobs.”
On Saturday October 5, Eyewitness News quoted ANC spokesperson Khuselwa Sangoni-Khawe saying, “We will report it to the IEC as well as the Advertising Standards Authority. In South Africa such advertising is not allowed.”
According to Maimane, “We (the DA) will defend our right to erect these billboards in any forum the ANC chooses.”
Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (OUTA) has from the beginning distanced itself from being responsible for the billboards.
