SACP Gauteng challenges Etv-Ipsos to come clean on Tshwane Election Polls

28 June 2016

The South African Communist Party Gauteng Province will this week stage a picket outside ETV offices in Hyde Park, Johannesburg demanding answers behind the broadcaster survey which has been misrepresenting public sentiment ahead of the Local Government Elections on the 3rd of August 2016.

The SACP GP takes issue with the polls conducted by IPSOS, particularly relating to public sentiment in Tshwane. We are deeply shocked and dismayed that the feedback we are receiving from the voters based on real life sentiment and mood in the City of Tshwane suggests high levels of inaccuracies and complete lack of precision with the ETV-IPSOS surveys.

The SACP GP is currently conducting an election campaign in the City of Tshwane as part of our contribution to the election victory of our Alliance partner, African National Congress (ANC). SACP Red Brigades are conducting a blitz in the inner City, distributing pamphlets, putting up posters and engaging the electorate.

We are deeply concerned by the furthest level of remoteness of the real live data on the ground compared to that of ETV-IPSOS, which seems to be hovering far above real facts on the ground. This seems to suggest that the credibility of the ETV-IPSOS polls may possibly have been contaminated by failure to disclose all facts, context and environment on the ground.

While we respect IPSOS as a credible and reputable research institution, its polls on Tshwane are misleading and seem to be politically biased.

We are of a strongly view that such polls took place in a highly elusive, fragile and unstable environment taking into account the wave of violence, anarchy and intimidation in the period leading to the publication of the results.

We believe, unless proven otherwise by the ETV-IPSOS and their apologists, that their failure to disclose all facts and qualify their results, may have without doubt distorted the absolute "truth" that IPSOS-ETV sought to portray about voter mood and sentiment in the City of Tshwane.

We are therefore left with no option but to challenge ETV-IPSOS to provide more information and facts about their polls.

This we believe is absolutely necessary to dispel any suspicion and perception that their polls, especially in the City of Tshwane constitute "Regime change Polls, a phenomena simply referred to as "RGP's".

We will therefore petition ETV-IPSOS on Friday, 8th July 2016 at the ETV offices in Hyde Park to seek answers and clarity on the method, tools and techniques followed to conduct the polls based on the unique circumstances of the City of Tswane, especially during the period in question.

Whilst we respect ETV-IPSOS, we however believe their findings are not a "Holy Script" nor "side of worship", their word thus constituting the Absolute Truth.

We are interested in these polls as they are presented to the public as if they are the election results, with clear winners and losers.

We are deeply concerned that the manner in which these results are hyped as the "Absolute Truth" carries a high risk violating basic tenets governing such activities, which include avoiding the charge of being unethical and therefore biased.

The leadership of the party will send communication to management of ETV to seek clarity on this issue.

Issued by the SACP
Contact:

Jacob Mamabolo - SACP Gauteng Provincial Secretary
Mobile: 082 884 1868

Lucian Segami - SACP Gauteng Provincial Spokesperson
Mobile: +2779 5220 098