'Desperate rivals remove MF posters'

With just more than three weeks to go until the general elections, the "dirty tricks" have started.

That is according to the Minority Front, who says its posters have been taken down in Lenasia and Lenasia South in Gauteng.

The leader of the MF, Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi, said this was a clear indication that the MF is a "thorn in the flesh" for opposition parties in Gauteng.

"It's the first time we are contesting in Gauteng and other parties are threatened by this. The fact that the posters are being removed is a sign of desperation," said Thakur-Rajbansi.

"We strongly believe that those who have been removing the posters are politically connected.

"These are just the dirty tricks they use - we have the same problem in Phoenix and Chatsworth in Durban."

She said 12000 posters had been printed for Gauteng and only 6000 had been placed.

Gauteng MF leader Kishore Badal said he received a call on Tuesday from a resident in Lenasia South informing him that two men in a VW Polo were removing MF posters in Starling and Cambridge roads.

"I went to investigate and found that seven posters were taken down.

"On Thursday, I again got a call from another resident reporting that people were taking down posters on Ivy and Clove streets and in Zakariyya Park. I followed up and found 13 posters were taken down. These areas are currently ANC areas."

He said residents had been asked to be on the lookout for information so they could report it to the police and the Independent Electoral Commission.

IEC chief communications officer Kate Bapela said anyone found guilty of removing party posters before elections were guilty of a criminal offence.