ANC factions battle it out
Comrades in
DEEPENING divisions in the ANC were evident when two camps took each other to court.
The divisions of the two West Rand factions from Swaneville, west of Johannesburg, played themselves out in the Kagiso Magistrate’s Court yesterday after they allegedly clashed during the nominations for ward councillors in the area.
First to appear in court was Sello Malanga, 39, who is accused of assaulting ANC branch chairman David Witbooi, 43.
Malanga was later joined in the dock by Oupa Kodisang, 34, and Sandile Ntshingulana, 37, on another charge of public violence.
Malanga, Kodisang and Ntshingulana are out on R500 bail each, while Malanga was released on a warning on the assault charge.
The three were arrested on July 13 after they handed themselves over. The men are accused of staging protests after residents were angered by the nomination of Lwando Resha as a ward candidate on June 23. Resha is currently a ward councillor in the area.
The men were part of a group of ANC members who accused regional chairman Boyce Maneli of tribalism, imposing leaders, nepotism and recruiting people from Eastern Cape. The ANC region later disputed the allegations.
The two separate cases were both postponed to September 16.
Outside the courtroom, Witbooi and his four co-accused waited to be called to appear. The two rivals groups did not greet each other.
Witbooi, Mthunzini Mokapelo, 44, Sibusiso Dubani, 38, Zubenathi Mdingi, 35, and Mzukisi Myeki, 44, later made a brief appearance in the same court on a charge of assaulting Malanga. Their case was postponed to September 20.
Malanga said he laid charges of assault after he was assaulted by seven men, including the five accused, in Swaneville on June 23 during a public meeting held by Maneli. Witbooi laid a counterassault charge against Malanga.
“I am surprised that one of the people who beat me has laid a charge of assault against me. I was injured by seven men including the five accused for nothing. I was beaten with sticks,” Malanga said.
“There have been attempts from our leaders that I should withdraw charges and make peace and I told them I won’t do that. We refused a mediation process from them. We remain active members of the ANC although we are being victimised through the courts.”