concerns of violence as the country heads to election
Image: Doctor Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers
Incidents of intra-party political tensions are raising fears of violence as the country heads to the local government elections on November 4. There have been intra-party public clashes in the ANC, NFP, and MKP, with party members exchanging blows in some cases. Ordinary party members have expressed fears that the situation could become more violent as the elections draw closer and the process to nominate new councillors intensifies.
Political analyst Musa Xulu warned that the skirmishes indicate despair. “Many would-be councillor candidates see being a councillor as more of a form of employment, rather than service to the public. This underlines the state of high-level unemployment and growing poverty in the country.”
In the ANC, several videos have surfaced showing people in ANC regalia exchanging blows. The Mercury understands that in some of these videos, the meeting had been called to discuss a candidate for a new councillor, but it deteriorated into violence. A video recently emerged of an ANC meeting in the Kokstad area that degenerated into violence. In the video, one of the men is severely assaulted and left bleeding on the floor; it is not clear from the video what caused the incident.
In another video, ANC members are seen exchanging blows after a heated meeting. An ANC member in the Moses Mabhida region stated that the nomination process is still proceeding well, even though the situation remains very tense.
Another video recently emerged of NFP members clashing and having to be separated by the police, amid fears that the members could come to blows. The NFP has been consumed by infighting in the past few months that started with the suspension of MEC Mbali Shinga. Voice notes have also been circulating, reportedly from senior party leaders trading insults.
Within the MKP, videos have also emerged in the Midlands area of members shouting down one of their leaders during a meeting. A member of the MKP in the Midlands said the tensions are due to people preparing to position themselves at the front of the queue for nominations. “The nomination process has not yet started; we are still waiting for the criteria for those who might be chosen. What has been happening now is the election of structures.
“At the moment, we are electing structures that are going to run the elections. Some people think that if they make it to those structures, they automatically become PR councillors. Others seem to think that being part of those structures gives them influence on choosing who can become councillors. I won't lie, the tensions are ratcheting up,” said the MKP member.
In Durban, members of the MKP have raised concerns about their leadership, whom they accused of removing people who had been deployed to structures and placing those who are close to them. The NFP stated that there is no tension among party supporters and claimed that those seen on video demonstrating were not legitimate NFP members but imposters wanting to cause chaos.
ANC spokesperson in the province, Sifiso Sonjica, said they have not seen the video of the alleged clashes, but what he can say is that whether they are ANC or purported to be ANC members, such behaviour is something that the party finds unacceptable and frowns upon. He added that the process of choosing the representatives of the councillors is ongoing, and the party would be taking its candidates to the people. They have not received any reports of major objections relating to the possible candidates.
MKP leader in KwaZulu-Natal, Willies Mchunu, said they will have a meeting of the Provincial Election Team today. “Some comrades have shown particular interest in either being elected or in having their preferred candidates appointed. While this is a cause for concern, we understand that our organisation is still new and is bound to have teething problems.”
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