Moyahabo Mabeba
Violence and bloodshed marred the beginning of an ANC branch general meeting in Limpopo, forcing the party to postpone their meetings over the weekend.
In the village of Ga Seleka in Lephalale on Saturday, armed members wielding guns, machetes, pangas and knobkerries stormed into the conference hall and launched a bloody attack.
Amid the violence, two people were shot, and sixteen others were injured.
According to reports, the mob followed the injured who had been taken to Witpoort hospital and endangered hospital staff.
The ANC’s spokesperson in Waterberg, Matome Moremi-Tauatswala, said that “nurses and doctors even had to run for ‘dear life’.”
The violent disruptions then forced the regional structure to call off all its activities in the affected area until calm was restored.
The incident, which took place in ward 12 of the Lephalale sub-region, has been met with widespread condemnation from the party’s regional structures.
Moremi-Tauatswala said, “The ANC is worried that despite the perpetrators of these heinous acts being identified, there have been little or no arrests in most instances – and where arrests have been made, the culprits are let off ‘scot free’.
“This has the potential to turn the Lephalale sub-region into a hotspot for political violence in the province. As the ANC in Waterberg, we implore the provincial police commissioner to intervene and bring the culprits to book. Violent behaviour is a foreign practice that collides with the organisation’s tradition and protocols.”
ANC branch meetings in the province have been recently marred by violence with members attacking each other.
A fortnight ago, anarchy reigned during a branch meeting in Nancefield, Musina where party members attacked each other.
A video has gone viral on social media showing a man brandishing a long hunting knife while the other was holding a hammer.
Three weeks ago, two people were stabbed during a BGM in Dennilton, outside Groblersdal in the Sekhukhune region.
Provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said “We can confirm that cases of attempted murder, assault GBH, malicious damage to property and public violence have been opened by the police at Witpoort police station in Waterberg District. A 41-year-old suspect has been arrested and a 9mm pistol was recovered,”
Limpopo regions are expected to conclude their elective conferences before the end of July.
