‘Ngeke sizwe ngawe,’ Van Damme tells EFF’s Mashego after DA township ban comment

EFF Gauteng chairperson Mandisa Mashego on Thursday said the Democratic Alliance must not be allowed to do door-to-door campaigns in townships, a suggestion that did not sit well with DA MP Phumzile van Damme.

According to Mashego, if white people “refused” to be mobilised in the suburbs by putting up “apartheid security” to stop black people from engaging with them, they should not leave their gated complexes and mobilise in the townships either.

“They use body corporates and rate payers’ associations to ride roughshod over citizens, they operate like miniature municipalities. It’s unconstitutional for them to block political parties from campaigning inside complexes and in suburbs through booms and private security,” she said.

https://twitter.com/MandisaMashego/status/1113670896143806464

Though UDM leader Bantu Holomisa did not agree with the idea of banning the DA from campaigning in the townships, he agreed with Mashego that campaigning in the suburbs had proved to be a difficult task, suggesting that the IEC may need to regulate campaigns in the future.

“Sometimes you are welcomed by dogs. My sister some of our members who conduct campaigns live in informal settlements/townships and rural areas. When they submit reports, they tell us that they struggle to do door to door in the said areas.”

Holomisa noted, however, that the houses in the suburbs did not only belong to DA members.

Nope . Read my status again but it’s true that door to door campaign in the said areas is difficult whether the houses belong to ANC, UDM DA, EFF members. I’m sure your own party experience the same. May be you can share how it’s done.

— Bantu Holomisa (@BantuHolomisa) April 4, 2019

Van Damme also jumped in on the conversation and asked Holomisa why he did not report the people who blocked his party from campaigning to the IEC. Turning to Mashego, Van Damme said the EFF would face consequences should anything happen to DA members campaigning in the townships.

“Ngeke sizwe ngawe [you can’t tell us what to do],” said Van Damme, before posting the electoral code of conduct.

In case you’re not aware. Like I said: uzow’khomba umuzi onotshwala. pic.twitter.com/awNkmD2G8Z

— Phumzile Van Damme (@zilevandamme) April 5, 2019

Commenting on the thread, the IEC reminded people to report a party or candidate they suspected had breached the code of conduct.

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