IFP alleges political intimidation after campaign posters disappear - IOL

Rajesh Ramnunan's campaign poster that was vandalised.

Two first-time IFP candidates in Pietermaritzburg say campaign posters and boards have been removed or damaged.

The party has reported the incidents to SAPS and the IEC and alleges political intimidation, although no suspects have been identified.

Rajesh Ramnunan, the IFP's Ward 31 candidate for the Northdale and Allandale suburbs, and Nosipho Ntombela, the  Ward 12 candidate in Edendale, said they were forced to replace the posters to reach voters.

Both candidates, who are contesting the elections for the first time, have reported the incidents to the police and the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).

Ramnunan said he first discovered that his posters had been removed or damaged on October 23 during his routine ward visits.

He said between 30 and 35 posters had been affected in parts of Northdale, Chota Motala Road and surrounding areas where the party had legally erected its campaign material.

“This is not an isolated incident, it has been an ongoing pattern over the last two weeks. Every time we replace them, they are torn down within a couple of days,” said Ramnunan.

Although he could not confirm who was responsible, he said community members had reported seeing individuals removing posters late at night.

“We are gathering this information and will include it in our formal complaint,” he said.

Ramnunan believes the destruction was politically motivated, alleging that the IFP's campaign material was being selectively targeted while posters belonging to other political parties remained untouched in the affected areas.

“Our IFP campaign is resonating strongly with residents of Ward 31. We are running a clean campaign focused on service delivery and community upliftment, and we are gaining ground quickly. I believe we are being targeted because our presence is being felt,” he said.

The candidate said the incidents had also placed a financial burden on the campaign, which relies on community funding.

With each poster costing between R150 and R200 to print and mount, he estimated that the party had lost between R5,000 and R7,000 in campaign material.

Rajesh Ramnunan's vandalised campaign posters.

Despite the setbacks, Ramnunan said the party would continue replacing the posters rather than allow the incidents to derail its campaign.

“We are replacing them because we refuse to be intimidated. It is an attempt to erase our visibility and limit our constitutional right to campaign,” he said.

He said campaign posters played an important role in introducing candidates to voters, particularly in communities where residents might not have other opportunities to learn about those contesting their wards.

“In many areas, posters are the only way voters know who is standing. Tearing them down is an attempt to keep voters in the dark and undermine a free and fair election,” he said.

Ramnunan added that, although he had no confirmed identities of those responsible, he had heard informally that candidates from other political parties were experiencing similar problems in Pietermaritzburg.

He believes the incidents point to a wider problem of political intolerance and has called for a multi-party meeting facilitated by the IEC.

“My message to those responsible is simple: You can tear our posters but you cannot tear our ideas or the IFP's commitment to the people,” he said.

“I call on the IEC and SAPS to act decisively and ensure that all parties, including the IFP, can campaign freely, fairly, and without fear or intimidation.”

Nosipho Ntombela's campaign posters before they were removed and taken.

Ntombela, who is contesting Ward 12 in Edendale, said she discovered that her campaign boards had disappeared on October 21.

She said she began making inquiries in the area and was directed by children to a person who lived in the neighbourhood.

She said she confronted the individual, who allegedly told her that three people had contacted him with similar complaints.

“He said he would check, but he has not gotten back to me on what he will be doing moving forward to prevent this from happening,” said Ntombela.

Like Ramnunan, she said she did not know why her campaign material had been removed but maintained that the destruction was unacceptable.

“I opened a case at SAPS and I told IEC. I do not know the reason they are doing this, but it is illegal to pull out our boards,” she said.

Shamieel Alliy, the IFP PR councillor, said the party believed its growing support in Pietermaritzburg's northern areas could be behind the incidents.

He confirmed that the matter had been reported to the IEC and that the affected candidates had opened cases with SAPS.

Alliy said the repeated incidents had left party members frustrated because they did not know who was responsible.

“We know that people play politics with dirty tricks. This feeling is not good because we witness it every two days, and the worst part is that we do not know who is doing it,” he said.

The IFP has called for action to ensure that candidates can campaign without intimidation.