ANC denies DA Ramaphosa accident claim

A DA claim that ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa's blue light convoy hit a cyclist in Wedela, west of Johannesburg, was dismissed as "lies" by the ANC on Sunday.

"The African National Congress strongly condemns the reckless and irresponsible lies from the Democratic Alliance wherein they accuse the ... [Ramaphosa's convoy] of having knocked down a cyclist in Wedela and [driving] off," spokesman Jackon Mthembu said in a statement.

DA Gauteng leader Johan Moodey earlier said in a statement that DA activists witnessed an accident, in which Ramphosa's convoy seriously injured the cyclist on Sunday.

He said Ramaphosa was leaving a voting station in Wedela when his convoy got stuck in traffic.

"After being stuck in traffic for several minutes, the Merafong police switched on their blue lights and sped ahead. In the process, a cyclist was knocked over."

Moodey claimed that the convoy drove off, leaving the cyclist with serious head injuries.

"...This is an unacceptable abuse of power and is symptomatic of the ANC leadership's arrogance in dealing with people."

Gauteng police spokesman Brigadier Neville Malila rubbished the claim.

"That's nonsense, it never happened. The cyclist fell long before the convoy even passed him," he said.

Mthembu said that Ramaphosa's convoy came across the man, who was lying next to the road with a bicycle next to him.

"In exercising responsible citizenry, [Ramaphosa's] convoy stopped to investigate.

"The team was told by people who were standing next to the man that he had hit a tree."

Ramaphosa's team checked the man, realised that he was having an epileptic fit and tried to resuscitate him. Traffic police were asked to call an ambulance.

Moodey said that he stuck to his statement, based on the information he received.

Mthembu accused the DA of using the incident in an attempt to score "cheap political points".

" The ANC demands that the DA must apologise unconditionally and retract its statement.

"The DA's conduct in this regard, which is false accusation of the ANC and its Deputy President and his team, is not in keeping with Code of Conduct of all political parties participating in the 2014 elections."

The ANC would raise the matter in the Independent Electoral Commission's party liaison committee, he said.