IEC to probe EFF farm claims

THE Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) has expressed concerns following reports that some political parties were denied access to farms in order to campaign for by-elections in the Witzenberg region.

This after meetings with political parties and farm owners.

In a statement, the EFF said it had lodged a complaint with the IEC after its supporters were blocked from entering the Kraamfontein farm owned by agricultural investment company the DuToit Group last week.

According to the party, ward 9 has 3 516 registered voters, with four voting stations: Tandfontein BewaarSkool Hall (715), Wyde Kloof Community Hall (1 087), Kraamfontein Hall (1 084) and Voorspoed Primary School (620).

“An email was sent, notifying Mr Du Toit of the EFF visit, and he flatly refused. Yet the DA MPL, who is an MEC for Social Development, was allowed to campaign on those farms last Thursday.

“In our campaign trail, Mr Du Toit directed his farm managers to barricade the farm gates with bakkies and big field tractors, preventing the EFF access to the voters, and sent security with guns and dogs to intimidate the EFF,” said the EFF statement.

The party said the farm has two IEC voting stations.

“The EFF has opened a case against Mr Du Toit. We also call on the IEC to intervene and facilitate access to voters, who must not be hidden away by racist farmers.”

Western Cape IEC head Courtney Sampson said the commission had met with several party representatives.

“We do have a matter of concern in the region which we are considering taking up on our own, and the legislation is clear in terms of reasonable access to voting sites and the freedom to free political participation and association” he said.

Sampson said consideration would be taken to move the sites but the accessibility of the rural community would be considered.

Consideration would also be taken to postponing the election due to the sensitivity of the matter, he said.

DuToit Group managing director Pieter du Toit said: “The (EFF) statement is factually not correct, with a number of wrong names, wrong insinuations and wrong dates.

“We also strongly object to the general reference to farmers being racist,” he said.