DA leader saves ANC followers from attack
Virginia Keppler
The DA’s Gauteng provincial leader John Moodey yesterday showed his steel when he stepped in to save about eight ANC supporters from being assaulted by DA supporters during a Freedom Day celebration in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria.
Wearing ANC T-shirts, the group tried twice to disrupt celebrations, leading to a mass of blue shirts surrounding them and disarming them of their rocks, stones and sjamboks.
The DA supporters were on the verge of beating the ANC supporters when Moodey stepped in.
Tensions had already started bubbling early in the day, when the ANC supporters tried to interfere with the DA’s preparations. This was at the site where Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga built four houses from the sale of the mayoral mansion, claiming the area as the DA turf.
To keep the peace, it was decided to move about 500m away. Msimanga was about to inspect the houses with Moodey and DA leader Mmusi Maimane when the ANC group stopped them.
After Maimane addressed the DA supporters, they approached the houses, but the ANC support- ers had other plans.
“These guys were allegedly being instigated by an ANC ward councillor to prevent us from having the event, but they failed,” Moodey said.
“They came in a white Nissan bakkie, speeding down the road towards us. I thought they are not going to intimidate us. This is also our South Africa, that we fought for. Where were these youngsters when the apartheid police beat us almost to death?”
Moodey accused them of being very rude and insulted DA supporters. But when it became evident that the DA supporters had run out of patience – and were ready to retaliate – he and other leaders stepped in. “The activists were really gatvol,” Moodey said.
The police fired two shots and a stun grenades.