Build One South Africa (BOSA) has challenged EFF leader Julius Malema to examine its 140 000 signatures it submitted during its registration last year to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).
This comes after Malema on Friday called into question the validity of BOSA’s 140 000 signatures, saying there was no way the party was able to accumulate this number of signatures.
He added there had to be systems in place to verify the authenticity of signatures as part of the IEC’s requirements for new political parties to be eligible to be on the ballot.
“Systems need to be put in place to verify the authenticity of signatures. The EFF has approached the IEC, requesting that it patch loopholes that are allegedly allowing political parties to submit fake and unverified signatures,” Malema said.
In a statement on Monday, BOSA spokesperson Roger Solomons urged Malema to meet him at the IEC offices in order to see for himself the number of signatures the party garnered when it registered with the IEC last year.
“BOSA notes with fascination, the comments made by Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader, Julius Malema, questioning the legitimacy of the more than 140 000 signatures of support BOSA submitted to the IEC.
“Challenging the legitimacy of this IEC requirement, without any evidence, is a serious matter, and one which BOSA does not take lightly. Our activists and supporters are leaders with integrity, taking no short cuts in doing the hard yards of proving to the IEC that our party enjoys significant support in every province,” said Solomons.
The party said it had earmarked Wednesday, April 24 for Malema to come see for himself the number of signatures submitted to the IEC.
“However, we remain flattered that Mr Malema is concerned with BOSA’s growth. We therefore, today challenge Mr Malema to come examine BOSA’s 140 000 signatures himself outside the IEC offices in Tshwane this Wednesday April 24 at 15:00. We will make available the 140 000 signatures for his perusal,” the party said.
Furthermore, BOSA called on the EFF to reveal its funders for its election manifesto which was held in February at the Moses Mabhida Stadium as well as all the provincial manifestos across the country’s nine provinces.
“Finally, we urge Mr Malema to play open cards with South Africa and reveal who paid for the EFF’s national manifesto launch and each one of the party’s provincial launches -- amounting to several millions of rand. With no funding declarations to the IEC, many are led to believe that shady money from cigarette smugglers is finding its way into EFF coffers,” Solomons argued.
The Star