Former ANC Councilor in the City of Tshwane Dr Kgoshi Maepa laid several charges against the DA at the Brooklyn Police station in Tshwane this morning.
The charges include crimen injuria, treason, vat fraud and tax avoidance.
“I have laid charges of crimen injuria inflicted by the DA on millions of South Africans because the party’s actions of producing an inflammatory and insensitive political campaign advert are in my view unlawful, intentional and a serious violation of the dignity of millions of South Africans, who take the flag as a symbol of national unity,” said Maepa as he addressed the media after laying the charges at the station.
“The DA should have at least known that their rights to freedom of speech are limited and that the production, distribution and dissemination of a video showing the burning of the country’s flag is an offensive action and the leadership of the DA must therefore shoulder the consequences of this very offence,” he said.
“In my view, the DA has intentionally encroached upon the right to dignity as the South African flag is a repository of sacrifice, values and dignity.
Maepa said in his well-considered view, the actions of the DA in producing the controversial video are treasonous as they threaten and endanger the existence, independence and security of the state and that shall be proven in court.
Maepa added that by producing the video, the DA was actually peeing on the sacrifices made by people like Nelson Mandela, Stanza Bopape and Solomon Mahlangu and this is aimed at inciting violence and cause mayhem in the society.
Maepa called for the immediate disqualification of the DA from the elections and that to this effect, he will write letters to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), Human Rights Commission, Public Protector, Broadcasting Complaints Commission of SA (BCCSA) and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA).
The charges of vat fraud and tax avoidance to the amount of R4,7 billion are levelled at the DA at the City of Tshwane municipality.
According to Maepa the Auditor General and SARS caught the “corrupt” DA-led City of Tshwane administration red-handed regarding manipulation and under-declaration of vat output.
In response to the charges laid by Maepa, DA Tshwane caucus spokesperson Kwena Moloto, who was also at the Brooklyn Police station, said: “It is laughable that Maepa can speak of the undermining of human dignity regarding the flag issue.”
“The real issue is that South Africa is on fire, we have the highest youth unemployment rate in the world, we have mass poverty, increase in violent crimes, children who are unable to read and write and learners who fall inside pit toilets,” he said.
“The DA’s election advert is not undermining human dignity, the ANC government is the one that undermines human dignity through corruption and mismanagement,” emphasised Moloto.
“We won’t withdraw the advert as it reflects the reality of the pain that South Africans go through on a daily basis,” he said.
“Reality is that the country is on fire and with this election this is the issue that we want to raise in this election,” said Moloto.
He said the forthcoming election is, more than anything, about survival because the “Dooms Day Coalition” may take over and as the DA this is what they want to stop by keeping the said coalition under 50% of the election votes.
On the matter of Vat fraud and tax avoidance, Moloto said the matter is actually related to the ANC’s PEU smart meter contract which was signed under the leadership of then mayor Kgosientsho Ramokgopa.
“We don’t have an issue with Maepa taking this matter to the police as investigations will reveal how Maepa and his ANC friends in the City of Tshwane stole via the PEU contract,” he said.