The Democratic Alliance has vowed to pursue the matter of DA members being arrested at a Free State voting station, after a charge against them were withdrawn on Monday.
Darryl Worth and other members of the DA were arrested in Botshabelo on election day, April 14, and released on bail of R100 each after being detained for four hours.
They had allegedly driven into a voting station in a vehicle bearing a DA logo.
The charge was withdrawn on Monday at the Botshabelo Magistrate’s Court, the party’s Free State leader, Andries Botha, said.
”The DA will not let this excessive harassment of the opposition during the election rest here,” he said.
”We will be seeking clarity from the authorities for the behaviour of the police.”
It is no small matter when a senior member of the Free State legislature was arrested by the police and jailed like a common criminal for hours for a minor infringement of the Electoral Act.
”The authorities displayed none of this zeal in responding to numerous objections against similar ANC [African National Congress] contraventions, which were lodged with the IEC [Independent Electoral Commission] during election day.”
The DA will decide what action to take against those involved in ”this ridiculous but very dangerous behaviour in the case where the function of the state and that of a political party caused confusion”. — Sapa