#MoeraneCommission: 'Greed, factionalism are causes of political violence'

Former KZN Premier testifying at the Moerane Commision of Inquiry into political killings. Picture by: Sibonelo Ngcobo/ANA

Former KZN Premier testifying at the Moerane Commision of Inquiry into political killings. Picture by: Sibonelo Ngcobo/ANA

Published Sep 20, 2017

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Former KwaZulu-Natal premier and former chairperson of the ANC in the province Senzo Mchunu says the party has to take responsibility for political violence.

“The ANC must accept responsibility that we are responsible for this directly or indirectly. We then have to act accordingly."

He however said that for this to happen the party needed to have “strong and uncompromised leadership”.

He said greed, the manipulation of party lists and factionalism within the ANC are some of the causes of political violence. 

Giving testimony at the Moerane Commission of Inquiry into political killings, Mchunu said the “phenomenon (of violence) is now within and around the ANC”.

Former KZN premier Senzo Mchunu has arrived at the #MoeraneCommission where he will be giving evidence @TheMercurySA pic.twitter.com/1kUSDFMJQ7

— Bheki Mbanjwa (@Bheki_Mbanjwa) September 20, 2017

He said the manipulation of lists takes place at different levels. 

“Manipulation is a highly involved rot. It includes sometimes manipulating membership,” he said.

Mchunu told the commission that lists were being manipulated to exclude people depending on which faction they are in.

One of the means used to manipulate processes of the ANC is through intimidation. He said there have been ANC meetings in eThekwini where bouncers, private security companies and bodyguards were called in. 

Mchunu says constant dialogue is important to curb violence and consolidate democracy @TheMercurySA #MoeraneCommission

— Bheki Mbanjwa (@Bheki_Mbanjwa) September 20, 2017

“They use those people called bouncers. You can also call police at times and depending on your influence on the police they come and do the job.”

He said these were new tendencies that were not there before. 

Manipulation was also done through counting, he said.

He told the commission that local politicians were increasingly being targeted. “People who have been targets are councillors and potential councillors, branch leadership and those who operate at sub-regions and zones in the case of eThekwini where a number of branches get clustered”.

The positions of councillors had also become highly contested because these were easily accessible. 

“You don’t have to have any academic qualifications, you don’t have to have any money … It promises double growth, one growth is in terms of your social status, You suddenly get respected. On the other hand it also pays financially.”

On greed, Mchunu said: “There is that syndrome that ‘our turn to eat has come’. It is a movement; it is a periodical movement. It becomes very powerful and it can move a woman or a man and it can throw you on the other side.”

The Mercury

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