ActionSA has accused the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) of ‘criminal behaviour’, claiming its councillors had trespassed on private property to disrupt polygraph tests being conducted among ActionSA councillors to determine if any of them had deviated from the party’s coalition mandate in Tshwane last week.
ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont earlier confirmed that the party was using polygraph tests to identify councillors in its ranks in Tshwane who may have deviated from the party’s endorsement of the DA-led multiparty coalition mandate to support DA councillor Cilliers Brink’s candidacy for mayor at the council meeting on February 28.
According to TimesLIVE, the party believes eight councillors from within the multiparty coalition supported COPE’s favoured candidate Murunwa Makwarela, ultimately helping to elect him. It is not known which parties these eight councillors were from.
Beaumont said three EFF councillors stormed a private venue where the polygraph testing was being done, and made off with the equipment. He said the party would open criminal charges against them.
TimesLIVE reported that EFF caucus leader Obakeng Ramabodu said selective lie detector tests on democratic processes of the council undermined the competence of the council to function freely and fairly.
Beaumont said: ‘The EFF is revealing itself daily as a criminal enterprise that is willing to engage in criminal acts to protect their newfound alliance with the ANC. We will not rest until those involved are arrested and removed as councillors from the City of Tshwane.’
Tshwane DA caucus leader Brink confirmed that the DA caucus had resolved to submit themselves to lie detector tests. He believed similar resolutions had been taken by their coalition partners, but emphasised that submitting to the tests was voluntary.
Brink was quoted as saying: ‘We want to make sure our own house is in order. Public representatives don’t represent ourselves, we represent the public. Councillors have to be held to the promises they made at an election, otherwise there is no such thing as an electoral mandate. We can’t afford secret balloting to hide backroom dealings.’