Political thuggery can’t be tolerated

POLITICAL thuggery has no place in our democracy. That holds true whether it takes place in parliament or in the streets, as was seen outside Luthuli House in Johannesburg in yesterday’s shocking The Herald front page photograph.

The image, by newspaper photographer Alon Skuy, shows a thick-set man kicking a woman lying on the ground.

The attacker has been identified as Thabiso Setona‚ an ANC branch secretary in the Johannesburg region, and – we are glad to hear – the ANC Johannesburg region immediately suspended him and took him to the Johannesburg Central police station.

However, this disturbing image reminds South Africans of how poor we are at living with opposing viewpoints.

Over the past few years we have witnessed an increasing intolerance towards those who hold different political points of view.

In Nelson Mandela Bay we have one ANC leader accused of smashing a glass jug on the head of a rival party member, while another is accused of stabbing a councillor with a pen.

These attacks convey the message that if you cannot beat your opposition at the ballot box, then beat them with your fists.

However, generally the battle-lines are drawn between individuals from opposing political parties.

What made this image so unusual is that it portrays two individuals who are both, on the surface at any rate, members of the ANC.

Setona was wearing an ANC T-shirt and was in the anti-Zuma faction on Monday, while the woman he allegedly assaulted was from the pro-Zuma faction of the Black First Land First movement, also ANC aligned.

How could a leader in the public eye, such as Setona is, think that this was acceptable behaviour?

It is horrifying to speculate then, if he is the kind of human being who can kick a person when they are down, before the glare of the media and the might of the police, what might he do behind closed doors?

In an unpleasant footnote, video clips of the attack show he was not alone. Others also attacked the woman and the group she was with.

The Commission for Gender Equality is right to be shocked at the assault, but it matters little if the victim was male or female.

The fact is that thuggery is thuggery wherever and to whoever it happens.

It cannot be tolerated.