"Preposterous and nothing short of a product of an over-active imagination" were the words the ANC used to respond to the EFF's claims that it established an "underground unit" to vandalise and remove its billboards.

"The ANC has championed the rule of law since the dawn of democracy and created a rules-based electoral system where political parties subscribe to a code of conduct. The ANC is firmly committed to the Electoral Code of Conduct and will not tolerate conduct by any of its members which is at odds with this code," the party said.

On Friday, EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said: "Over the past two days, two strategically placed billboards of the EFF have been victim to this criminal unit, driven by political envy and intolerance."

Two incidents

The political party said there were two incidents - one on the R21 south, between Olifantsfontein and a garage in Oakmoor - and the second at the Nhlazani railway station in Soweto.

The EFF claimed that the act exposed the governing party as "uninterested in a clean and peaceful campaign driven by democratic principles of political contestation enshrined in our Constitution".

It further lambasted "racist whites" in Tshwane for allegedly participating in similar activity.

"The EFF is targeted by both the hooligans of the low self-esteem driven ANC and the fools in right-wing white, racist formations.

"Earlier this year, our posters were being vandalised and targeted by the racist whites in Pretoria, who were moving around under the cover of the night to undermine our rights to freedom of expression and political belonging by removing EFF manifesto launch posters," Ndlozi added.

"Those who resort to such tactics must ultimately be disqualified from standing for elections. Thus, as soon as we have collected our evidence, we shall approach the Electoral Court to act decisively on the politically intolerant ANC," Ndlozi said.

Dirty tricks

But ANC acting national spokesperson, Dakota Legoete, said the ANC's campaign was focused on reaching out to every voter and communicating its manifesto commitments of growing South Africa into a society where a better life for all was realised.

"Dirty tricks have never been part of the ANC campaign and we will not take kindly to such conduct wherever it rears its ugly head," Legoete added.

It advised the EFF to approach law enforcement with the evidence it claimed it had.

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