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The IFP has uncovered yet another event, funded by taxpayers' money, which
was turned into a blatant ANC campaign event ahead of the local government
elections - this time a municipal prayer event.

The IFP received an invitation from the Office of the Speaker of the Tshwane
Municipality to attend a multi-party prayer day on Thursday, only to find
that the municipality had bussed in ANC supporters and turned the event into
an ANC election rally.

"We are outraged that the Tshwane municipality has now joined a long list of
municipalities and government departments in staging functions using
taxpayers' money, with the main aim of promoting the ruling party and
advancing its local government election campaign," said Alvin Madela, the
IFP's Chairperson in Pretoria.

Madela said that this latest abuse of the taxpayers' money, to boost the ANC
election campaign, is a clear sign that our fledgling democracy is at peril.

"It is clear that the ANC is not planning to stick to the rules as we
approach the elections in a fortnight. The ANC will, true to their nature,
even steal from the taxpayer to advance their cause. Their actions speak to
a blatant disregard for the basic principles of our democracy. We therefore
call on the Public Protector to urgently investigate these instances of
abuse of taxpayers' money. We should no longer allow the ANC to abuse its
power at the expense of the taxpayer. Our democracy is at stake," concluded
Madela.