DA complains of religious slurs
Candidate accuses ANC of dirty tricks
It’s an election and it’s not about religion
A POLITICAL dirty tricks rumpus soured a municipal by-election in Chatsworth, Durban, this week.
Democratic Alliance candidate Ismail Cassimjee emerged victorious from Wednesday’s ward 70 byelection for the same position from which he had resigned after leaving the Minority Front for his new party.
The ward was also contested by the MF, African Christian Democratic Party, Congress of the People and the Inkatha Freedom Party.
The election was tainted by two charges filed by the DA against the ANC, the latest being of crimen injuria for an incident of religious intolerance alleged to have taken place on the eve of the election.
The first was against ANC ward candidate Raj Pather for allegedly breaching the Electoral Act.
The DA claimed he had campaigned for his party at a municipal function — attended by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan — for senior citizens funded by ratepayers.
In the religious intolerance matter, Cassimjee said he had been subjected to anti-Islamic utterances by individuals making public announcements with a loudspeaker from an ANC-branded bakkie.
Cassimjee said he became upset when community activist Orlean Naidoo began telling people not to vote for him because he was a Muslim.
“They said: ‘Don’t vote for him, he’s a thief.’ Then they said: ‘Don’t vote for him because he’s a moulana, he’s a Muslim and he’ll only do things for the Muslims.’ ”
However, Naidoo denied Cassimjee’s allegations.
“I categorically deny making utterances against the Muslim community, as alluded to by Moulana Ismail Cassimjee of the Democratic Alliance.
“What I did say, though, is that people should not vote for the DA because a vote for the DA will bring back the selfish, lazy, self-centered Moulana Ismail Cas- simjee, who is accused of being involved in dishonest property deals, failure to pay his rent and illegal meter tampering and would not bring service delivery to the community of ward 70.”
Raj Pather, the ANC’s candidate in the by-election, said he was not present when the incident took place and distanced himself from it.
“I don’t approve of any allegations in that name because it’s an election and it’s not about religion.”
Pather said Naidoo was not an ANC member.
Police spokesman Colonel Jay Naicker said a case of crimen injuria had been opened.