DA cries foul over billboard dispute

The Democratic Alliance called foul play against the Passenger Rail Agency (Prasa), accusing it yesterday of fighting battles on behalf of the ANC after the rail agency took down the party’s billboard at Park Station in Johannesburg.

On Monday, DA leader Mmusi Maimane unveiled a billboard at Park Station, which highlights accumulative financial losses made by embattled South African Airways (SAA) over the years.

Maimane said government must stop bailing out the airline, blam- ing the ANC for the airline’s losses as it had squandered at least R35 billion in bailouts and government guarantees since 1999.

A scuffle ensued between DA followers, Prasa management and police at Park Station on Monday during the unveiling of the billboard, with the rail agency saying the DA had no permission to erect it.

DA national spokesperson Refiloe Nt’sekhe said they were considering legal action against Prasa for removing the billboard.

Nt’sekhe said Prasa had deployed extra security personnel to move the DA activists from the public area under the billboard, and became forceful and disrespectful when they tried to explain the process the party had followed with the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department.

“We believe Prasa acted outside of their jurisdiction and authority by ordering that the billboard be removed,” said Nt’sekhe.”

The DA rented advertising space on the billboard, erected on land owned by Prasa. – ANA