Here's why Natasha Mazzone is accusing the EFF of 'illegal campaigning'

If SA is to end the lockdown, all South Africans, including political parties, must commit to sticking by the rules and follow the Covid-19 restrictions, said DA MP Natasha Mazzone on Sunday.

Mazzone and the DA have called on the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) and police minister Bheki Cele to launch a review of what the party called blatant illegal campaigning by the red berets.

Mazzone suggested Cele acted in favour of the EFF when he failed to deploy police officers to disburse the crowds who attended the manifesto launch in Johannesburg on Sunday, ignoring rules on social distancing. 

“Today, I will have to reach out to minister Bheki Cele and the IEC. It cannot be that one political party can fragrantly break election rules and have no consequences for their actions,” said Mazzone.

The MP claimed the DA would have been threatened with disqualification from campaigning had it flouted the lockdown restrictions.

“How can it be that the EFF has not come to parliament for almost two years because they have been hiding in their bunker, but when it suits them, they're on the streets, endangering the lives of thousands of South Africans?” asked Mazzone.

President Cyril Ramaphosa placed SA under alert level 2 two weeks ago, which allows up to 250 people to gather indoors and 500 people outdoors. 

A seemingly unfazed EFF leader Julius Malema simply responded via Twitter: “voetsek”.

Malema addressed large crowds on Sunday during the launch of the party's elections manifesto in preparation for the local government elections on November 1.