Fikile Mbalula. Photo: Wessel Oosthuizen/Gallo Images.
ANC elections head Fikile Mbalula believes Western Cape premier Helen Zille has lost the plot and needs to be arrested after she vowed to organise a tax boycott, if voters voted for “corruption” again.
The premier took to social media vowing to boycott personal income tax if voters cast their votes for the ruling party. Zille believes that if people voted for the ANC again it would be high time for taxpayers to withhold their payments.
ALSO READ: Helen Zille vows to organise tax boycott in SA if voters ‘vote for corruption’ again
The said those who paid income tax were not getting value for their money, suggesting the reason behind this being that the ANC was stealing taxes meant to support the poor. According to the premier, those who voted for the ANC were complicit in corruption. “It’s as simple as that,” she wrote.
Should people vote for the ANC, she has vowed to organise a tax revolt, claiming she had tried the electoral route for years, but voters appeared to “like voting for corruption.”
“As I see it, this election is the last chance the voters have to vote against corruption. And it is clear – a vote for the ANC (even under Cyril) is a vote FOR corruption. If the voters fail the democracy test again, its time for additional methods. #TaxRevolt,” she wrote.
Mbalula appears to believe Zille may have lost it and needs to be detained. He criticised her threat and said this was why the DA’s head of policy, Gwen Ngwenya, resigned just weeks before the party’s manifesto rally.
The premier has received some backlash over her comments, with some calling them irresponsible, as she is still a premier.
Zille retaliated by stating that putting “criminals” on the election list was also not legal.
Professor Adam Habib said: “What you proposing is illegal. Let’s explore your logic. Where does this stop? If you lose legislation on the parly floor, will you tell your members to stop paying taxes? If a party loses mayoral elections, can it tell its members not to pay rates? Would this not breed anarchy?”
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