Durban - A call to defend the SACP and its leaders was sounded at an emotional funeral service near Durban on Sunday.
Many of the thousands of mourners at the service in Inchanga voiced their deep frustration and anger at the ANC, with some booing a senior ANC KwaZulu-Natal leader who addressed the crowd.
They had come to bid farewell to Phillip Dlamini, gunned down at an SACP meeting at the same grounds last week. Some of the shooters are alleged to be linked to the local ANC branch.
Dlamini, the crowd was told, had died a martyr’s death – taking a bullet intended either for eThekwini mayor and SACP chairman, James Nxumalo, or for the communists’ preferred local candidate councillor, Malombo Nxumalo.
There were also claims that another SACP member, Bongani Dladla, who had been earmarked as a candidate councillor, was killed days before Dlamini’s death.
SACP deputy secretary, Solly Mapaila, said the Inchanga community should protect itself, its SACP KZN chairman and other leaders.
“We need extra people to protect comrade James Nxumalo. We need people to protect the community and all leaders.
“Mayihlome maqabane (get armed to attack comrades) to defend Inchanga. We say mayihlome (get armed to attack) not against the ANC,” Mapaila said.
He said the people who killed Dlamini had targeted Nxumalo.
“He died in the place of Nxumalo. People who came here were on the lookout for Nxumalo. This is completely unacceptable,” Mapaila said.
He said Dlamini would be given a special SACP membership posthumously so that communists could celebrate his life.
“He died for justice, peace and democracy in our movement.”
Nxumalo said Dlamini had died a hero, “even though there was no need”. Dlamini had been attending a meeting called to receive a report from the ANC headquarters about people being prevented from joining the ruling party because they supported certain leaders.
Mapaila said those behind the shooting should be removed from the ANC.
“It is our duty to clean the ANC. It is rotten. It is us who should clean it,” Mapaila said, to applause from mourners.
Nxumalo said it could not be that the ANC and SACP were at war with each other.
“Who started the war. Who is it directed at?” he asked.
Nxumalo reiterated his previous statement, that he was glad he had not been at last Sunday’s meeting with his bodyguards
“We would not have run away… We would have defended the community,” a visibly emotional Nxumalo said.
“I will die in the ANC and SACP. Nobody is going to chase me out with guns,” he said.
Mapaila said the SACP would organise an open recruitment day without seeking permission from the ANC in the eThekwini regional or KZN leadership.
“That is why we have this martyr,” he said, referring to Dlamini.
Mapaila demanded the ANC take action against an executive member of the local branch allegedly linked to the shooting last Sunday.
Also speaking at the funeral, Young Communist league (YCL) local branch secretary, Sibusiso Mthombeni, said it was painful that they were being killed for seeking ANC membership.
“If they like the ANC so much that they can kill us, it’s fine, but we will go nowhere. We will die in the ANC,” he said.
Mthombeni asked the SACP to allow them to contest the ward in the coming elections.
“Even if you don’t agree, we plead for Ward 4. Please feel for us, we have complained too much... We ask to be allowed to contest the elections,” Mthombeni said.
YCL national deputy secretary, Isaac Luthuli, said the ANC needed to say whether it was “for the working class or criminals”.
South African National Civic Organisation provincial secretary, Richard Mkhungo, detailed how ANC processes were being “stolen”.
“We support the ANC to win but the SACP must be ready to contest power,” Mkhungo said.
ANC KwaZulu-Natal executive member, Sipho Gcabashe, who was booed and disrupted during his address, said gate-keeping – to keep supporters of rival factions from attending meetings – was rife in KZN.
“It is a problem we deal with on a daily basis,” he said, noting that meetings were even held at night with those chosen to attend summoned through text messages and on the internet.
“Your complaints are genuine and the president has spoken about them,” he said.
But, SACP provincial secretary, Themba Mthembu, said the “SACP could not be party to flouting of the ANC constitution and guidelines.
“If they don’t want to listen, it’s best they do it on their own,” Mthembu said.
“What we want is for the ANC to win overwhelmingly in the local government elections, but it can’t if we allow this rubbish that’s taking place.”
Daily News
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