Defiant Sabelo tells ACM to bring it on
BRING it on. That was the reaction of Thanduxolo Sabelo, ANC Youth League (ANCYL) secretary in Kwazulu-natal, following a contempt of court order filed by the Active Citizens Movement’s (ACM) on Friday.
The application stemmed from Sabelo and the league’s refusal to “unconditionally” apologise for disrupting the Durban leg of struggle activist Ahmed Kathrada’s memorial service at Sastri College, near Greyville, last month.
In court papers, the ACM said it wanted Sabelo and the youth league to publish a detailed apology to the Kathrada family in KZN regional and national newspapers.
They also wanted the youth league to apologise to them “for the offence and hurt caused by their violation of the order”.
The ACM also asked the court to order Sabelo to pay a yet to be discussed sum of money to an NGO working to support vulnerable children.
But a defiant Sabelo told the movement that they will meet in court. The chaotic memorial service was held just over a week after President Jacob Zuma sacked former finance minister Pravin Gordhan, who was a keynote speaker at the event, and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas.
Prior to the event, ANCYL members in KZN dared Zuma’s detractors to attack the president and vowed to defend him.
The ACM retaliated by applying for a court interdict in a bid to bar the youth league from attending the memorial service.
The Youth league opposed the application and Durban High Court Judge Rashid Vahed ruled that they could attend since it was a public event.
He, however, warned youth league members to conduct themselves in a respectable manner and ordered the leadership to guard their members against disrupting the event.
The ACM believed the ANCYL violated this court order and wanted them to apologise.
ANC treasurer-general Zweli Mkhize was also booed.
Sabelo said: “What they are demanding is unreasonable and we are not going to issue any apology. We are going to defend ourselves in court of law because we believe we are innocent. We did not breach any court order, we have complied with every aspect of the court order.”
He said they conducted their own investigation after the allegation was brought against them and found no evidence that linked their members to any disruptions.
“We have done our investigation and we have established that those who caused chaos were not our members.”
The ACM was adamant that it was the youth league members who were “extremely unruly and intoxicated” during the event.
“They constantly booed, heckled and interrupted Gordhan while speaking forcing him to end his speech prematurely,” the ACM said in court papers.
Sabelo lashed out at the movement, saying it wanted to elevate their brand using the ANCYL. “We are ready for them, our legal team is prepared, let us meet in court,” he said.
Sabelo, a staunch Zuma supporter, was cited as the first respondent and the youth league in KZN as second respondent.
Acting police commissioner Major-general Bheki Langa is the third respondent but no relief is sought against him.
The ACM argued that the reason for the court application was to “strengthen participatory democracy, hold public officials accountable, ensure a socially just society, advance aspiration of the constitution.
Also to “engage in any activity to advance social justice and to prevent the abuse of power and prevent any form of discrimination against citizens and non-citizens.”
ANC provincial secretary Super Zuma said the party was willing to iron out matters with the ACM but it would difficult now since the movement had approached court.