No ‘big brother’ during elections – Ntshavheni on DA’s request to have US observe polls
The Minister in the Presidency labelled the DA’s letter to the US to to send increased observer missions to the country to oversee the May elections as ‘inconsequential’.
Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni. Picture: GCIS
CAPE TOWN - Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshaveni says government will not allow another country to play ‘big brother’ over its electoral processes.
This comes in response to the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) request to the US and several other Western nations to send increased observer missions to the country to oversee the May polls.
Ntshavheni labelled the DA’s letter ‘inconsequential’, and said the matter was not even discussed at Wednesday’s penultimate meeting of the Sixth Administration Cabinet.
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The DA raised the African National Congress’ (ANC) hackles by casting doubt on the country’s ability to hold free and fair elections.
On Thursday, Ntshavheni accused the DA of wanting to be the puppet of the US, and of diminishing South Africa’s sovereignty.
“To have countries that are already denying their own citizens the right to vote - you know there are states in the US that have curtailed the rights to vote of certain people, to come and observe and play big brother South Africa, will not happen.”
She said while Cabinet also did not discuss threats of election violence from Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, they had to be dealt with by security agencies.
“Because there won’t be mayhem. There won’t be a repeat of the July 2021 unrest in this country, when our law enforcement agencies are at work.”
In her letter to the US, the DA's Emma Powell said the MK party posed a threat to peaceful political discourse in the country.