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Today we witnessed the ANC violating the Constitution, as its drunken supporters tried to prevent a DA meeting from taking place in Slovo Park, Winterveldt (outside Pretoria).

A group of about 50 people, shouting ANC slogans and singing Mshini Wami, lit a bonfire with wood and a burning tyre, next to the DA's trailer in an attempt to drive about 200 DA supporters out of the area. Many in the unruly crowd, who identified themselves as ANC supporters, were openly drinking various kinds of alcohol. Some were clearly intoxicated.

They tried to prevent the DA supporters from dousing the fire, or preventing the acrid smoke choking the area. Eventually a police contingent dispersed them with pepper spray and rubber bullets. A fire engine was called to the scene to prevent the fire from spreading.

After a delay of about 30 minutes, the DA meeting went ahead and certificates to successful candidates in a recent DA training course were presented.

The disruption of our meeting was unconstitutional and resulted in several minor injuries. The police acted promptly and professionally to protect our right to hold the meeting, by dispersing the crowd and defending our right to gather and to speak.

Instead of getting drunk and violent, ANC supporters should be addressing the critical service delivery issues that I witnessed in Winterveldt, Itsoseng and Mabopane.

About ten years ago similar incidents used to occur in Cape Town. They are now largely a thing of the past there. We will continue to build democracy and bring our message to every community in South Africa.