Tina angry over granny

FAMOUS television actress Tina Jaxa is hopping mad, accusing the DA of duping her grandmother Elizabeth Bornside, 84, into appearing in an election advert

"She is an old lady and probably did not even know why she was being filmed and told to say the things she said. It is disgusting what these politicians did," she said.

Bornside is seen supporting the party in the local government elections and praises them for doing good for her and others. The advert has been running for weeks now on national television.

The ANC was also furious after discovering that the DA had taken Bornside to cast her special vote for the party on Monday. The ANC said the granny was always their member.

Jaxa said Bornside was not aware that she would be used in a TV advert and had a stroke once she found out, claims denied by DA head of communication Gareth van Onselen, who described the allegations as unfounded.

"I know all the people staying in this house, but I never saw you here," he told Jaxa, before complaining to the police that she had sworn at him.

But Jaxa accused the DA members of invading her grandmother's house.

Bornside's niece, Batho Moqhoishi, has also come into the fray giving support to Jaxa's version of events leading to this election controversy between the ANC and the DA.

"There was a DA meeting in Hlengisa Primary School attended by Helen Zille. Bornside told them that her house was leaking because the roof had been blown away.

"A few weeks later DA members came to fix it. Afterwards they shot an advert and said she must then canvass for the DA because they fixed her house," Moqhoishi said.

And in the latest saga involving the two parties' fight for the granny's essential vote on Monday, a commotion allegedly took place after ANC members heard that Bornside had voted for the DA.

Nyanga police had to visit her home to calm down angry members. DA MP Masizole Mnqasela accused the ANC of intimidating Bornside.

He said Bornside had been forced to flee because she was afraid of ANC members. But then a squabble broke out between Mnqasela and Jaxa, who was dressed in an ANC T-shirt.

"This is untrue. When we do any advert we first get permission from the person who made it before we play it," Van Onselen said.

When Sowetan asked if Bornside was a DA member, Van Onselen said he was not sure.

"But I know she voted DA on Monday because she told us," he said

But ANC provincial secretary Songezo Mjongile claimed that Bornside was a longtime ANC member.

Police eventually ordered members of both political parties to leave, saying that only family members could remain in the house.