Police launch investigation into allegations of MK Party signature forgery

uMkhonto weSizwe Party’s Jacob Zuma.(Darren Steward/Gallo Images)

• The police are investigating the uMkhonto weSizwe Party after allegations that it forged signatures to qualify for the upcoming general elections.
• The allegations were reported to Western Cape police last week.
• National police commissioner Fannie Masemola said investigations were still at an “initial stage”.

The police have launched an investigation into the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party after allegations that it forged signatures submitted to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), national police commissioner Fannie Masemola said on Tuesday.

The signatures were to secure a spot on the ballot list for the upcoming provincial and national government elections.

On Sunday, City Press reported former MK Party senior official Lennox Ntsondo reported the incident to Western Cape police last week.

In a statement, Ntsondo said in February, he allegedly appointed a team of about 20 people to assist with the mass forgery of signatures after the IEC rejected the MK Party’s initial application for registration.

He claimed the team fraudulently obtained names, identity numbers and cellphone numbers of jobseekers from a City of Cape Town database as well as acquiring the personal details of members of a funeral association.

Ntsondo said the signatures were forged before being submitted to the IEC.

He requested not to be prosecuted for his admission in line with Section 204 of the Criminal Procedure Act.

Ntsondo also asked he and his family be placed in witness protection.

Masemola responded to a News24 question after an imbizo led by Police Minister Bheki Cele at Durban’s Inanda township on Tuesday, saying: “There’s an inquiry that is open at the Cape Town Central police station.

“It [the inquiry] is at the initial stage. We are still trying to verify if there’s really a case. If there’s a case, we’ll transfer the matter to the National Prosecuting Authority [NPA] for a decision.”

Elections safety concerns

Meanwhile, Cele said while they were concerned about the possibility of violence in the lead-up to the elections, he was confident the police would maintain law and order.

He added the justice, crime prevention and security cluster had started dealing with those who threatened violence on the campaign trail, referring to MK Party’s Visvin Reddy.

Earlier this month, Reddy, who occupies the ninth spot on the MK Party’s parliamentary list, was charged with inciting violence and appeared in the Chatsworth Magistrate’s Court.

He allegedly made inflammatory remarks to the effect that there would be violence in the country if the MK Party was not allowed to contest the elections.

While addressing the community of Inanda on Tuesday, Cele said: “The likes of Visvin [Reddy] were very confident and outspoken. Look at them now, they are very quiet.”

He told reporters the police were looking to charge others for “threatening the elections”.

“We are talking with the NPA regarding statements that have been made by others … we will never allow people to call for war if [the] elections don’t favour them.”

At least 52 political parties have qualified to contest the elections nationally, according to the IEC.

On Sunday, Defence Minister Thandi Modise said a security plan had been devised to ensure the elections took place safely.