Johannesburg - The EFF in North West has elected two convicted murderers serving jail sentences for the murder of ANC regional secretary David Chika into its top provincial structure.
EFF MPL Papiki Babuile was sentenced in the high court in Pretoria sitting in Stilfontein last month.
The crimes he was convicted of were committed while he was provincial secretary of the ANC Youth League.
Chika – who was ANC secretary in the Kenneth Kaunda region (Klerksdorp-Potchefstroom district) – was shot and killed outside his house in Alabama, Klerksdorp, on December 14, 2012.
At the time, Chika belonged to an ANC faction in North West that wanted Jacob Zuma retained as ANC president during the party’s Mangaung elective conference that took place the same month he was killed.
Chika was murdered on the eve of the conference.
Babuile wanted Zuma removed. When that failed, Babuile joined the EFF and later became one if its four MPLs in North West.
Babuile was sentenced to eight years’ jail last month for conspiracy to commit murder and 12 years for Chika’s murder.
He was also denied leave to appeal against his conviction.
The court found Babuile did not fire the fatal shot - his accomplice, William Lesole Malefo and three others were singled out as the real murderers of Chika. All four were sentenced to life terms.
Malefo was also elected an EFF provincial executive member while in jail.
On Wednesday, The Star spoke to some EFF members who expressed disgust at the conference’s outcome.
At the weekend, the delegates at the conference, which was held at JM Ntsime High School in Mogwase, Rustenburg, described the conference as a sham.
They said EFF MP and party spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi had presided over their “shameful conference”.
A source said: “We were about 390 delegates from all four regions of the province. During election time, we were surprised when delegates from the Kenneth Kaunda region in Klerksdorp presented a letter from Babuile to the conference.
“In the letter, Babuile wrote that he was available to be elected. Mbuyiseni, who presided, did nothing about it. Babuile was nominated and won by two votes,” the source said.
This prompted a walkout in protest by other delegates.
The Star was told that most of the disgruntled delegates complained, wondering how they were expected to “convince other people that Jacob Zuma was corrupt while they allow murderers in their organisation”.
Another source said: “The delegates burnt EFF T-shirts in protest. Some complained that Julius Malema came to Rustenburg in August and told them that Babuile was innocent until proved guilty. They also said Malema promised that Babuile’s membership would be terminated if he was convicted.”
Ndlozi’s confirmation of Babuile’s election contradicted Malema’s promise during their meeting at Boschdal Lodge in Rustenburg on August 12.
Ndlozi confirmed Malefo’s nomination into the executive committee. “Babuile was elected because his conviction and sentence were under review. He is in jail because he has not been able to secure bail,” he added.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Nathi Mncube said Babuile’s application for leave to appeal was rejected.
Babuile’s accomplices – Malefo, Jeffrey Letuka, Happy Kadi and Sehlangu Sikhakhane - each sentenced to life terms, were expected to be transferred to Rooigrond Maximum Prison in Mahikeng.
Joseph Molebatsi, on parole for the murder of a police officer when he killed Chika, was sentenced to eight years for conspiracy and 15 years for murder.
The Star