Principals unaware of ANC posters on premises

AT LEAST three other schools have billboards advertising the ANC on their grounds – and all of them will be removed as soon as possible.

The Star’s sister paper, the Cape Times, reported earlier this week that a billboard advertising the ANC had been removed from the grounds of a Cape school following complaints by the DA.

Both the Western Cape Provincial School Education Act and the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act prohibit the display of party political posters on school grounds.

It emerged yesterday there were also ANC advertising billboards outside these SECURITY at voting stations is not only the responsibility of the Independent Electoral Commission, deputy chairman Terry Tselane said yesterday.

“Political parties and communities also have a responsibility to ensure that they are able to contain the issues emerging from the community,” he said in Centurion.

Seven voting stations were temporarily closed in Bekkersdal on the West Rand at the weekend after violence on the first day of voter registration.

A mob reportedly torched a municipal building, barricaded roads and intimidated residents wanting to register to vote in next year’s general election.

Violent protests erupted in the township several weeks ago, with people demanding better service delivery and the removal of their mayor. schools:

Isilimela Comprehensive in Langa.

John Pama Nyanga.

Tafelsig Secondary Mitchells Plain.

These billboards advertised ANC service delivery in education, sanitation and electricity and called for residents to register to vote.

The principals both John Pama and Tafelsig schools had not been aware their billboards were advertising the ANC.

Ndileka Jeremiah, principal of John Pama Primary, said she had not known the billboard had been changed or when that had happened.

Tafelsig Secondary’s

Tselane said it was up to political parties to ensure tension was resolved before people needed to register and vote.

“The challenges in these areas were related to service delivery and these were not challenges generated by the IEC,” he said.

IEC chairwoman Pansy Tlakula said the number of people registering in Bekkersdal picked up late on Sunday.

The IEC had a target of registering 2 million new voters before the polls.

“We have not done badly,

Law prohibits display of political posters at schools

Ruschda O’Shea said she had gone outside to check the billboard after hearing about it from the Cape Times.

“I got the shock of my life. It must have only been there for a few days.

“I know for a fact there is a rule that political advertising is not allowed on school premises. They clearly did that without speaking to the school.”

‘Parties also responsible for security’

because we have reached the 50 percent mark. We still have 1 million first-time voters to go.

“The end result was a smooth and efficient registration process in which 2 512 219 were assisted at the country’s 22 263 registration stations.

“Of these, 1 088 015 or 43.3 percent were new voters registering for the first time.”

Tlakula said overall registration levels were boosted to almost 77 percent of eligible voters from 73.6 percent, and 1.17 million people changed their voting station registration.

She said few people aged between 18 and 19 were registering, despite an increase in their numbers.

KwaZulu-Natal had the highest number of people registering, followed by Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape. – Sapa

Both had contacted the outdoor advertising company responsible for managing the billboards and said they would be removed as soon as possible.

The Cape Times was unable to contact Isilimela Comprehensive yesterday.

Bronagh Casey, spokeswoman for Education MEC Donald Grant, said in each of the three cases the principals had been unaware of the posters, but they would be removed soon.

“The posters are erected independently by an outside agency. The school governing body (SGB) is paid by advertisers to use the premises for advertising.

“SGBs can do this, they abide by the relevant municipal by-laws. The advertisers then sell the space of the billboard to relevant clients.

“The (department) will remind principals of the relevant legislation and ask that they report any political activities to the department.”

The WCED did not have details of how many schools had billboards on their premises.

Ivan Meyer, DA provincial leader, said yesterday he would again report the ANC to Grant for “illegally campaigning at a Cape Town school”.

ANC provincial secretary Songezo Mjongile did not respond to a request for comment.