A video of an old man being klapped at a Democratic Alliance Rally on the Cape Flats has gone viral.
In the video, 73-year-old Danny Brown was allegedly attacked by Kirk Walker, husband of DA ward 26 candidate Franchesca Walker, after Brown questioned why the DA was fielding “fraudsters and thieves” in tomorrow’s local elections.
Brown was referring to Walker, who was arrested for fraud, and Chris Jordaan, who admitted to stealing City of Cape Town-owned cars and selling them for personal gain.
The two-minute video was posted on Facebook by ANC Western Cape spokesman Yonela Diko, who wrote: “If the DA can allow their members/supporters/party officials to assault an elderly pensioner like this, how will they treat you in Council if you still continue to blindly vote for them.”
The incident happened on Sunday when DA provincial leader Patricia de Lille held a rally in Elsies River.
Pensioner Brown, who is the chairperson of the Ratepayers Association in Elsies River, was put out of the hall when he raised his hand to ask De Lille a question.
The crowd had booed him and started chanting “leave, leave”.
Outside, Brown refused to shake the hands of DA members, angering them.
Candidate for Ward 50, Angus McKenzie, can be heard persuading members to leave “this man alone and go home”.
“Don’t get involved with this man‚ he has issues‚” supporters are warned.
Brown replies in Afrikaans: “Don’t offer me that dirty hand.”
Kirk Walker then walks up to him and tries to smack him twice.
ATTACK: DA rally in Elsies River. CREDIT: Facebook
Brown claims Kirk was aiming for his face, but the blow was blocked by another activist, Imraahn Mukaddamm, who was recording the incident on his cellphone.
Brown says: “He was never able to actually klap me, but the DA really had no right to treat me the way they did. I am not affiliated to any political party. My job is the people.”
DA Western Cape media manager, Anneke Scheepers, says: “We are investigating the matter as it is not clear whether it is a DA member. We condemn acts of disorder in the strongest terms.”
In 2003, while working at Cape Trown Traffic Services, Chris Jordaan sold two City-owned cars for financial gain.
He admitted guilt and lost his job. No criminal charges were ever brought against him.
He was selected as a DA ward councillor in 2011, and when his candidacy was questioned in February, the DA said he had never transgressed their code of conduct as a councillor.
Franchesca Walker is currently facing fraud charges in the Bellville Commercial Court.
The DA said the alleged incident took place about seven or eight years ago and that Walker is being wrongly accused of failing to provide training for which she was paid.