Johannesburg - The ANC says it’s "dismayed" by allegations that one its workers were arrested in connection to a cash-in-transit heist that took place in Dobsonville, Soweto.
Joburg Mayor Herman Mashaba revealed the details on Wednesday saying he was reliably informed that one of the three suspects arrested for alleged involvement in the heist was a person employed by the ANC at its headquarters at Luthuli House.
The party said in a statement on Tuesday that it was shocked that one of its workers was involved in a crime and that internal disciplinary action would be followed against the employee. "The African National Congress is dismayed by the fact that its employee was arrested and appeared in court allegedly for involvement in serious crimes," said the party. The ANC on its part is following its internal disciplinary policy for the employee, and we will ensure that appropriate action is taken."
"Crime remains a serious cancer in our young democracy, and we must continue to fight it in whatever of its manifestations. We support the efforts by the law enforcement agencies to investigate, arrest and charge perpetrators to such high priority crimes."
Mashaba, who's known for his tough talk on crime in Joburg, questioned whether the ANC had known that it had employed an alleged criminal, especially as there is a fresh increase in cash-in-transit heists.
"The arrest of this individual does bring into question whether the ANC has been aware of the arrest of this individual and, if so, why they have remained silent on such an important matter. It also begs the question of how the ANC, while running National Government, can employ individuals who so brazenly undermine public safety and the rule of law in our country," said Mashaba.
"We must do more to reinvigorate our law enforcement agencies and achieve the collaboration that will turn the tide against criminality in Johannesburg."