Cape Town - The increasing violence within North West ANC factions is concerning, the Democratic Alliance said on Friday.
DA spokesman Chris Hattingh said the attempted murder of ANC provincial secretary Kabelo Mataboge on Friday morning was indicative of a high level of intolerance.
“The vicious factional fighting, which has become endemic at both provincial and local government levels, has nothing to do with policy or philosophy differences, but everything to do with power and the control over financial resources.
“It is clear that the North West ANC has become leaderless, with Premier Thandi Modise sidelined to the status of a mere spectator.”
He claimed this supposed leadership vacuum was being “exploited”, allegedly by different factions.
Doctor Ruth Segomotsi Mompati district ANC secretary, Solly Matobo, confirmed the shooting outside Mataboge's home in Mmabatho around 2am.
He said Mataboge's wife phoned them in a panic and they rushed to the scene.
“We rushed there to investigate, but on the way to the house we found the secretary running away from his home towards the hotel. We picked him up,” he said.
“He told us that four bullets were fired and hit his car. He was not hurt. We cannot speculate at this stage on the reason for the shooting, but it may be politically motivated.”
Provincial police confirmed a case of attempted murder was being investigated.
Provincial ANC spokesman Kenny Morolong condemned the “hideous” attack, calling on police to expedite the investigation so arrests could be made.
“We wish Comrade Kabelo Mataboge and his family well on this sad occasion, and wish to assure them that the ANC will spare no effort in ensuring that these criminals face the full might of the law.”
There had been at least two other incidents of political violence this month.
On November 4, a man was shot in the chest during an ANC meeting in the Magogong Village in Taung. Police arrested Final Kgodumo, 37, in connection with the shooting.
Four days later, a party member was stabbed in the neck with a broken bottle outside the Taung Magistrate's Court, where Kgodumo was appearing.
Police arrested a person for the attack.
The North West ANC provincial nomination conference was scheduled to take place later on Friday. - Sapa