DA mulls legal action against ANC over ‘black ops’ election campaign

DA federal chairperson James Selfe has warned that his party is considering legal action against the ANC’s “black ops” election campaign, while the ANC has admitted in court papers to owing money to public relations expert Sihle Bolani for the work she did for the party during last year’s municipal elections.

This is despite an earlier statement by party spokesperson Zizi Kodwa that Bolani, Joseph Nkadimeng and Shaka Sisulu were not contracted by the ANC or any of its structures  to do the communications work of the organisation in the 2016 local government election.

Reports have emerged that the ANC had planned to spend R50 million on a covert campaign targeting opposition parties, particularly the DA and EFF, in the build-up to the 2016 local government elections.

But later, the party’s general manager, Ignatius Jacobs, in an affidavit filed on Tuesday on behalf of the ANC, said it doesn’t owe the Bolani money as it was agreed that she would volunteer her services for its campaign.

Jacobs said it become apparent to him during a meeting with Bolani on December 9 that she misunderstood she was expected to volunteer her services for the campaign.

Jacobs, however, undertook to pay Bolani R1 million by the end of December, but said it would not be possible to raise and pay the full amount by December 31. Earlier this month, she was paid R100 000, with the party acceding that the balance of R900 000 was still outstanding.

In his reaction, the DA’s Selfe said on Tuesday that the ANC may have stooped to a criminal level to subvert democratic processes.

“To this end, the DA has referred the matter to our legal counsel,” Selfe said.

“In particular, the claims regarding fake opposition posters and the establishment of fake news agencies and television shows is an extreme abuse of democratic processes.”

On Tuesday, the South Gauteng High Court dismissed an urgent application against the ANC brought by Bolani.

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