Vampire killings shock party
Full force of the law should be felt by offenders
THE ANC wants to deal with a “backward” superstition that drinking human blood saves killers and other criminals from the long arm of the law.
This came to light at the party’s National Policy Conference being held here since last week.
The scourge of human bloodsucking “vampires” started in Lusikisiki in the Ngquza Hill municipal area where gangs of criminals were said to be killing people for their blood.
This was because of a belief that it would “protect” them from arrest.
Known as amavondo, the vampires terrorise communities, targeting women for their blood.
Earlier this year, two Ngqungqushe college students were allegedly killed by the community on suspicion they were part of the vampire gang.
Recently, while President Jacob Zuma visited Lusikisiki he was told of amavondo and the communities vowed to kill those suspected of drinking human blood.
At the conference, social transformation chairwoman Lindiwe Sisulu cited this during her report to plenary.
Sisulu said offenders of such “anti-social” beliefs should face the full might of the law and get nothing less than maximum sentences to send a strong message.
Sisulu said this recommendation would go back to ANC branches for further discussion before it could be adopted into ANC policy at the December elective conference.
Closing the conference yesterday President Zuma lamented the existence of factionalism in the governing party, saying if not addressed it had the potential to erode the very existence of the ANC.
In his speech, Zuma suggested that a “winner takes all” culture in ANC leadership contests was the root cause of factionalism.
To put this to an end, Zuma backed a proposal that if a candidate lost a position, they must automatically be considered for the deputy position to avoid splinter factions and sabotage by the losing faction.
“Our movement has lost many talented and capable comrades in whom it invested significantly due to slate politics and the terrible manifestation of factionalism.
“In this regard a proposal has been made in some commissions that we should all encourage lobbying practices that will allow a unifying electoral programme,” he said.
The Dispatch understands that the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal, which had made the proposal, approached the Eastern Cape for support.
Other policy issues raised included the commission on economic transformation, where the ANC resolved to conduct further research on proposals to nationalise mines, while it was wishy washy on calls for land expropriation without compensation.
But what stole the show was debate on the existence, or lack of, the term “white monopoly capital” in ANC vocabulary.
After strategy and tactics chair Joel Netshitenzhe told media on Tuesday that nine of 11 commissions resolved not to classify monopoly capital by race, Zuma yesterday contradicted Netshitenzhe, saying in fact in the SA context, white monopoly capital did exist.
Netshitenzhe was forced to apologise for “misrepresentation of facts” and according to Zuma he did apologise. —