DA youth leader arrested for alleged intimidation

A Mpumalanga Democratic Alliance (DA) youth leader was arrested on Monday morning for allegedly intimidating an African National Congress (ANC) member, police said.

Superintendent Sibongile Nkosi said the 26-year-old was arrested after an ANC member laid a charge of intimidation against him, following for an incident in Tweefontein on Saturday.

“Police had been looking for him since Saturday after the ANC woman opened a case against him. We were only able to find him today,” Nkosi said.

The DA youth was expected to appear in the KwaMhlanga Magistrate’s Court soon.

The DA expressed shock at the news of its member’s arrest.

According to a party statement the allegation followed the youth leader’s helping to remove a drunk audience member from a public meeting addressed by DA MPL Clive Hatch on Saturday.

“The DA further finds it shocking that although the DA has laid several charges against people in the Thembisele municipality and throughout the province, no arrests have been made as yet,” Hatch said in the statement.

The party referred to another incident during which ANC members allegedly demanded that a DA supporter burn his T-shirt before forcing him to wear an ANC one.

Despite this having been reported, no action had been taken against the ANC supporters.

“It is obvious that the ANC is scared of losing votes in Mpumalanga and will resort to any type of intimidation to circumvent the democratic rights of South Africans.”

The party intended writing to the province’s acting police commissioner to determine why no action had been taken against people who allegedly intimidated DA supporters, circulated false pamphlets and broke into the party’s offices.—Sapa