ANC task team to crack down on political violence

PMB 12062016 ANC KZN manifesto launch, Harry Gwala Stadium, PMB. Photo: Shan Pillay

PMB 12062016 ANC KZN manifesto launch, Harry Gwala Stadium, PMB. Photo: Shan Pillay

Published Jun 14, 2016

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Durban - The ANC has moved to crack down on perpetrators of political violence in the KwaZulu-Natal.

During its election manifesto launch in Pietermaritzburg at the weekend, the party announced a task team comprising its top brass in the province, which would work with police to halt the violence.

It aims to restore stability in the province which is reeling from killings allegedly related to dissatisfaction with the nomination of ANC members to stand for election as councillors.

ANC provincial spokesman Mdumiseni Ntuli said the team formed by party provincial secretary Super Zuma would ensure that people who committed crimes in the name of protests against the ANC nominations were dealt with, irrespective of whether they were party members or not.

“The task team will deal with political issues, but ultimately will involve the police to make sure that perpetrators are identified and arrested,” said Ntuli.

Ntuli, Premier Willies Mchunu, Vincent Madlala, Gugu Smelane-Zulu and MEC for Community Safety and Liaison Mxolisi Kaunda were members of the team.

They would also assist the police in arresting people responsible for damage to public and private property across the province.

The initiative is a response to violence in various wards in Pietermaritzburg, Durban, Kokstad, KwaDukuza and Mandeni.

In Pietermaritzburg four ANC activists have been shot and killed this month.

In Imbali, Pietermaritzburg, two women ANC activists, Badedile Tshapa, 56, and Khetheni Ngubane, 50, were killed last week as they were returning from a party meeting at Mehlokazulu High School. The meeting had been called to introduce Jabulani Nene as Ward 15 candidate.

A source who was at the meeting said Tshapa and Ngubane had been vehemently opposed to Nene’s nomination.

Early this month two ANC leaders of Ward 12 in Edendale, Pietermaritzburg, branch treasurer Simo Mcwabe and chairman Nathi Hlongwa, were shot dead.

The team is expected to also probe the killing of an ANC councillor in the Nongoma Municipality, Thami Nyembe.

Other areas where property has been destroyed during violence protests by people angered by ANC nominations are KwaMashu and Inanda, north of Durban, Umlazi and Folweni, south of Durban, Inchanga, Shaka's Head, the Isithebe industrial area near Mandeni, and Kokstad and Newcastle.

At Isithebe a number of factories were set alight while in other areas property belonging to councillors was destroyed. Government properties worth millions of rands were damaged beyond repair.

Ntuli said the team had preliminary meetings with party leaders in eThekwini, Moses Mabhida in Pietermaritzburg and KwaDukuza. The team would soon visit Newcastle and Kokstad.

“The task is to get closer to areas where there is violence and understand if the protests have links with the ANC processes and deal with them politically, and then isolate criminality and hand it over to the police,” he said.

Ntuli said after the teams had held preliminary discussions with all affected regions it would meet branch leaders, then they would meet supporters.

During the manifesto launch in Pietermaritzburg, party provincial chairman Sihle Zikalala, President Jacob Zuma, SACP provincial secretary Themba Mthembu and Cosatu president S'dumo Dlamini all condemned the violence and killings. They described perpetrators of the acts as criminals who should be dealt with by law enforcement agencies.

“No one should die to be a councillor. Let us stop killing each other,” said Dlamini.

KwaZulu-Natal violence monitor Mary de Haas said although it was fair that the ANC was doing something about the violence, as the governing party it should go beyond murders affecting the party.

“The murders have also affected other parties such as the IFP and NFP - as they are mostly government members they should tackle this violence beyond the ANC,” said De Haas.

Durban-based political analyst Xolani Dube of the Xubera Institute said the ANC should provide political education and discipline rather than waiting for its members to commit offences and report them to the police.

“I don’t think that going and reporting to police would stop this. It is not for the first we find people killing each other within the organisation. It has been there post the first election 1994.

“They have not looked at the cause, why people have to go out and burn things, why people have to go out to kill each other.”

He said the violence was caused by the fact that the local government elections were viewed as the way to get employment.

“When you look at the number of people who compete for these positions of councillors, a number them are unemployed but are people who command great respect within their branches.”

He said the party should focus on educating members.

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The Mercury

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