In a hotly contested election, political parties may resort to desperate measures to get the attention of voters, a political expert noted, as the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) issued a warning that it was keeping an eagle eye on the unfolding events ahead of the upcoming elections.
Of particular concern in their observations, the SAHRC said were “remarks and behaviours that include threats of violence, xenophobic rhetoric, the defacement of political material, desecration of national symbols or flag, and disruptions to essential services such as education”.
In the latest incident, the public and the presidency expressed outrage following an election campaign advertisement by the DA depicting the burning of South Africa’s national flag.
The party has defended its conduct.
DA national spokesperson Solly Malatsi, speaking ahead of the party’s largest ever rally in KwaZulu-Natal, said on Thursday that the advert pointed to the downward spiral faced by the country.
The advert has elicited intense discussion on social media, with Arts and Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa saying the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) must consider the prohibition of the burning or desecration of national symbols in the code of conduct of political parties and that his department was considering legal options.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has described the symbolism of burning the flag as “treasonous”.
Meanwhile, the SAHRC said it stood vigilant in its “duty to safeguard human rights during this critical period” as some political parties and their members were using “utterances that border on human rights violations to stir interest in their electioneering process”.
“In line with its constitutional mandate to uphold the democratic principles, (the SAHRC) has noted with concern certain utterances and actions by political parties, their members and segments of the public in the course of electioneering.
“Of particular concern are remarks and behaviours that include threats of violence, xenophobic rhetoric, the defacement of political material, desecration of national symbols or flag, and disruptions to essential services such as education.
“Such actions not only undermine the principles of democracy but also pose a threat to the safety and well-being of all South Africans.
“The commission is concerned that these utterances, statements and conduct may lead to related hostilities as South Africans head to the polls.”
The commission emphasised that although freedom of expression was sacrosanct and enshrined in the Constitution, speech that seeks to enrage, coupled with xenophobia and hate speech, and to incite violence, was “inconsistent with the values espoused in the Constitution – human dignity, ubuntu, equality, non-racialism, non-sexism, and the rule of law”.
The SAHRC said political parties should be mindful of their actions and the impact they may have, especially on “vulnerable groups”.
“The commission reiterates its commitment to monitoring and addressing any conduct that undermines the integrity of free and fair elections, consistent with our constitutional mandate to protect, promote, and monitor human rights.”
Dr Edwin Yingi, a lecturer in Unisa’s department of political sciences, said in a hotly contested election such as this one, “we are likely to see political parties going overboard”.
“We are likely to see the campaigns getting more tense as we get closer to elections.
“I wouldn’t say campaigns are going to spiral out of control and have serious violations of human rights. (In) any election, you can go to any country holding elections, those issues also come in. In hotly contested elections, you will see the political parties sometimes going overboard.
“For example we’ve (also) seen videos of volunteers, removing posters of political parties. Some of these unscrupulous activities we are most likely (to) see more of – time will tell. Sometimes (parties) can be desperate."
“They would try to do it with caution because we have the SAHRC keeping an eagle eye. Also the IEC, in light of the code of conduct (parties) signed. I don’t think you would see parties being reckless, but one cannot rule that out,” he said.
*Additional reporting by Kuben Chetty.
Cape Times