Durban - KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala has strongly condemned law-enforcement agencies for inviting the media during their raid at former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede’s homes last week.
The ANC provincial chairperson appealed to President Cyril Ramaphosa to make sure that such behaviour did not happen again as it was “undermining unity within the ANC in the province”.
He said the police’s conduct also undermined the work of the ANC in the government.
“As the ANC we are fully committed to the fight against crime, but for police to visit people’s homes accompanied by TV cameras was wrong when it was done some years ago against president (Jacob) Zuma as president (Kgalema) Motlanthe called it a Hollywood style,” he said.
Ramaphosa was at Durban City Hall on Thursday night to brief ANC structures in eThekwini Region about his new integrated development programme called District Development Model, which would see development being focused at the district government level and also have all departments working together to deliver services.
"This has not only happened in eThekwini, but it has also happened in some other areas, which is why Mr president we would like to bring this to your attention. The state organs should work properly,” he said.
Zikalala said police should arrest a suspect without having to draw media attention.
He told Ramaphosa about series of arrests of senior ANC leaders with charges being later withdrawn for lack of evidence.
Zikalala also lashed out at campaigns for eThekwini regional conference that had started even before the declaration of the conference date.
Both candidates of the regional chairperson position Gumede and Thabani Nyawose had since the beginning of the month been holding campaign meeting around Durban.
“The caucuses (campaign) that are happening in eThekwini are not resonating with the principles of the ANC, they are tendencies that undermine unity within the ANC.
“Who gave a mandate to comrades who are addressing those caucuses. It does not matter whether it comrade Bheki Ntuli (who campaigning to be regional secretary on Nyawose’s camp) or comrade Musa Nciki (who want to be secretary on Gumede’s slate) or Zandile Gumede or Thabani Nyawose because that is wrong.
“Comrades what we have been seeing in the last two weeks is foreign to the ANC,” he said.