The African National Congress councillor who was beaten with a brick, steel piping and chairs while he tried to break up Sunday's bloody brawl in Khayelitsha has been suspended by the provincial leadership.
City of Cape Town councillor Madadonke Ngombane underwent emergency surgery on Monday at Groote Schuur hospital and it is not known whether he has been told, or understands, that he has been suspended.
ANC provincial chairperson James Ngculu and the party's provincial secretary Mcebisi Skwatsha announced on Monday that Ngombane had been suspended with councillors Nolungile Sibali, Phakamile Khula and Nontsikelelo Nyakatyha.
ANC members Douglas Ndawonde, Nomawethu Mosana, Amos Komeni, Yandiswa Yako, Ntombekhaya Skondo and Zweliphangile Simbeku will also appear at the disciplinary hearing.
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Ngombane - known as a "Home For All" or Ebrahim Rasool supporter - and the others were suspended after a fight broke out at a Ward 97 annual general branch meeting.
Ngombane is the Ward 95 councillor.
Witnesses said the trouble was started by a provincial executive committee (PEC) member inside the Chuma Primary School hall and then spilled on to the streets.
The committe member called for the Ward 97 task team - laden with Rasool supporters - to be disbanded and a new interim executive committee to be elected.
First there were verbal exchanges, but then a man, known to be a supporter of the committee member, began throttling the wife of one of the councillors. Other women came to her assistance.
Witnesses said the assault began in earnest when Amos Komeni tried to assist the women and Ngombane came to his aid.
He and the others are likely to face charges of misconduct and bringing the organisation into disrepute, but the disciplinary committee will consider the provincial working committee's report and decide on final charges.
A gun, which had been left unattended, was found on the scene.
"We are meeting police this week and we would like a report into their investigations of the firearm. People have no business carrying a firearm to an ANC meeting," said Skwatsha.
Ironically, the issue that started the fight has now been implemented by the PEC: it has asked the branch task teams of wards 91, 93, 95, 95 and 97 to be disbanded with immediate effect.
The task teams were mandated to structure the new ward demarcations, set up by the Independent Electoral Committee.
On Monday the provincial working committee said that it was monitoring the situation in Khayelitsha and had asked the police for help.
The provincial leadership will also be holding meetings with the branches in Khayelitsha in the coming week.
Skwatsha said certain members who were at the meeting had come from other branches but had "no business being at the meeting".
Ngculu denied that the incident came about as a result of factions that had been forming within the party and dismissed it as a stale debate.
Police spokesperson Elliot Sinyangana could not confirm that any charges had been laid.
- This article was originally published on page 9 of Cape Argus on September 27, 2005
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