ANC flag. Picture: Gallo Images / Thapelo Maphakela
Political rivalry is believed to be behind the fatal shooting of an ANC branch member and the wounding of another in North West, as political killings spread beyond KwaZulu-Natal.
Police are looking for eyewitnesses to the shooting after a 38-year-old man died and a 30-year-old woman were injured at a community hall in Mothutlung, outside Brits, on Sunday afternoon.
They were reportedly leaving a party meeting at Mothutlung’s ward 20 at Madibeng Municipality when they came under attack.
It was not clear whether the victims held executive positions in the party and according the police, the motive for the shooting was not yet known.
The killing came as shock to many, as it was unusual to see political killings in the North West, which had been relatively peaceful over the years.
Political killings have been a regular occurrence in KwaZulu-Natal, with sporadic politically motivated attacks reported in the Eastern Cape recently and a few some time ago in Limpopo.
ANC members in Brits who spoke to The Citizen said the two members had attended an ANC meeting before they were shot.
The province has been marred by electoral list disputes after names of 155 elected ANC councillors were illegally scratched off the lists and replaced by unknown individuals.
An investigation by the provincial list committee implicated Cabinet members, provincial leaders and mayors in the list fraud.
North West, Western Cape and Gauteng are expected to hold elective provincial conferences on yet to be determined dates this year.
Presently, North West has two centres – one headed by Bushy Maape as premier and another by ANC interim provincial committee (IPC) chair Hlomane Chauke.
Maape was imposed as premier by ANC headquarters Luthuli House to replace Dr Job Mokgoro who, in turn, filled a vacuum left by Supra Mahumapelo, who was unceremoniously redeployed to the National Assembly to head the tourism portfolio committee.
The ANC veteran is up against Chauke and former provincial chairs Nono Maloyi and Supra Mahumapelo. It is understood that MEC for economic development, environment and tourism Kenetswe Mosenogi had also thrown her name into the hat.
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