DA lays election bribery complaint against PA leaders

While the DA laid a complaint against a Patriotic Alliance member on Monday, former Nelson Mandela Bay ANC councillor Andile Lungisa opened a case of his own against the DA, saying it had dragged his name through the mud for too long.

This was after DA provincial chair Andrew Whitfield had laid criminal complaints against PA member Neville Higgins. Whitfield also said he hoped the police would investigate PA president Gayton McKenzie and national chair and Bay councillor Marlon Daniels because of their proximity to the alleged bribery attempts.

This was after Higgins allegedly tried to bribe a DA councillor to spoil his ballot during the vote by secret ballot for the Bay’s mayor.

DA councillor Nqaba Bhanga was elected with 62 votes, while the EFF’s Amandlangawethu Madaka received 57.

Whitfield said at a news conference he hoped a police investigation into claims of election bribery would include Lungisa, because “where there is smoke, there is Andile Lungisa”.

The Herald reported on Friday that Higgins had sent a text message to a DA councillor saying he should name his price for him to spoil his secret ballot, implying McKenzie, who he said was in the Bay would pay the bribe.

However, McKenzie vehemently denied having knowledge of Higgins’s plans. He said he did not even know Higgins.

But he hit back at the DA, saying it was “seeking attention” by including his name in allegations “that are wasting the police’s time”.

McKenzie said he would be happy to provide phone records to assist in the police’s investigation.

“I am willing to give them my phones. I never spoke to Higgins. I have never even met him.

“I know everyone on the Patriotic Alliance, and that man holds no position in this party,” Mackenzie said.

He said the DA’s allegations were “defamation and attention-seeking” and they were wasting valuable police resources with nonsensical cases.

“If someone deserves to be prosecuted, then go open a case. The law must run its course.

“But coloured people are being shot and killed every day, and the DA is doing nothing about it.

“Not in Nelson Mandela Bay or Cape Town, where they have been leading for a long time.

“In fact, they would rather open silly cases and distract the police even further.”

Lungisa said ongoing efforts to tarnish his reputation were the DA’s attempts to “make themselves relevant”.

Allegations of him being involved in the alleged bribery had led him to the decision to open a case against Whitfield and Bhanga at the Humewood police station on Monday morning.

“These are serious allegations and they are trying to tarnish my name,” he said.

“They know adding my name to this story gives it more power.

“They made the same allegation last week, that is why I went to open this case,” Lungisa said.

Whitfield referred to Lungisa a couple of times in his press statement, but the official complaint was not made against him.

Included in documents Whitfield handed to the police were screenshots of the WhatsApp conversation between DA councillor Tyrone Adams and Higgins, saying Adams could name his price if he was willing to spoil his ballot.

When asked about the allegation against him on Monday, Higgins said: “It is very mischievous for the DA for anyone to call that a bribery.

“In my entire life also as a former councillor who understands the laws of our republic, I will never engage on any illegal activities [like attempting to pay] bribes.

“But I will continue to lobby individuals to support my views across party lines in the interest of the northern areas community.

“That is the price which I’m prepared to pay for and continue fighting for [the] uplifting [of] our communities in integrating them in the broader development of our metro and country,” he said.

Daniels said: “I don’t talk to print media-aligned to the DA.”

Whitfield laid the complaint at the Walmer police station.

“This is the first time that a case like this has been opened that we are aware of,” he said outside the police station.

“For the first time we have tangible evidence of attempted bribery and it shows that some people will go to any lengths to undermine our constitution and our democracy.”

Whitfield also likened the Bay’s leadership between 2018 and 2020 to a “criminal syndicate”.

He referred to Monday’s article in The Herald, depicting decaying buildings and derelict infrastructure across the city, laying the fault squarely at the previous government’s door.

He said the case was not only retrospective, but also an attempt to “immunise the council against acts of bribery and corruption”.

Police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg confirmed Lungisa had laid the complaint.

No-one had been arrested, she said.

This story has been updated to correctly refect that the attempted bribery attempt complaint was named against Higgins and not McKenzie and Daniels as initially reported.

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