Durban - Police on Thursday confirmed that a case had been opened by a Democratic Alliance member who was stabbed following a political rally, allegedly by supporters of the African National Congress.
Police spokesman Major Thulani Zwane said: “The incident took place at Welbedacht near Chatsworth yesterday (Wednesday), but the victim opened an assault GBH [with intend to do grievous bodily harm] case at Ntuzuma police station where he is originally from.”
Zwane said that no arrests in the case had yet been made.
“He sustained a stab wound on the left arm and was taken to hospital for medical attention,” said Zwane.
The 29-year-old was injured when DA supporters and a group of about 40 ANC supporters clashed at the end of a DA Freedom Day rally on Wednesday that was attended by about 1 500 people in Welbedacht, an impoverished area in Durban’s Chatsworth area.
The DA’s provincial leader Zwakele Mncwango said on Thursday that he would be raising the clashes at the next multi-party meeting.
DA councillor Heinz de Boer said on Wednesday afternoon that DA supporters leaving the rally found themselves confronted by a group of about 40 people wearing ANC T-shirts.
“As our people began leaving the area, a number of vehicles including a bakkie with a loudspeaker system and the ANC flag arrived, effectively blocking the road.”
It was then that the stabbing is alleged to have taken place, but before matters took on a nastier turn, officers from the eThekwini Metro Police arrived and separated the two groups.
ANC provincial secretary Super Zuma, speaking from Newcastle on Thursday where he was campaigning, said that the party was still investigating the incident.
“We have got that information [of the confrontation]. We are still investigating. It is not the ANC culture to prevent others from campaigning.”
He said that he would be able to further comment on the incident once investigations had been completed. He also pointed out that people wearing ANC T-shirts did not automatically mean they were members of the party.
“There should be tolerance. We cannot have no-go areas. Anyone who does not agree with that, cannot be a part of us,” he said.
African News Agency