Police in the Limpopo town of Bela Bela have had their hands full, rounding up political activists on allegations ranging from election fraud to inciting public violence.
Police spokesman Colonel Abel Phetla said this week that detectives were awaiting court decisions before continuing with their investigation into two Bela Bela African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) activists.
Vincent Kekana and Maggie Mashiane, a clerk at a law firm, were arrested in connection with a leading ANC member’s registration, which allegedly involved fraud.
They were released on a warning.
Former ANC councillor Godfrey Malete has cried foul after his name appeared on the ACDP's candidates list without explanation.
Across town, four political activists - one the son of Fred van Heerden, the Waterberg region’s most recognisable property developer and estate agency kingpin - spent the night behind bars on allegations of inciting violence.
Van Heerden’s son, NJ, fellow Change for Bela Bela activist Obed Motau and two members of the fledgling Ubuntu Party, Keenan Alberts and Isaac Achendoff, were arrested at a careers expo.
Alberts is a former DA councillor.
According to witnesses, the four arrived at the expo, demanding to make Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande and Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi, who were guests, aware of issues in the Bela Bela Local Municipality.
Phetla says the police are awaiting a court date to proceed with the case against the four.
At the centre of tensions between the council and opposition parties and community groups is a disputed KPMG report said to finger certain high-ranking officials.
Mayor Lucas Nhlapo said KPMG was expected to table the report on July 7 but, for reasons that can't be established, nothing came of this.
Alberts said it was tantamount to “wasteful expenditure” for the ANC-led municipality to commission a forensic investigation, then keep the findings under wraps.
Van Heerden jr, the convener of Change for Bela Bela, said KPMG’s chief executive officer, Trevor Hooke, had told him in an e-mail that the report had been handed over to the municipal head of planning, Preciousstone Raputsoa, on May 6.
At the time Raputsoa was acting municipal manager in the place of Morris Maluleka, who had been suspended.
Maluleka has since returned to his post.
The Sunday Independent has seen the correspondence between Van Heerden and Hooke.
Change for Bela Bela is to rally the community to put pressure on the authorities to release the report, failing which the courts are to be asked to intervene.
Sunday Independent