2016-02-04 07:35
Kaveel Singh, News24
Inchanga SACP members outside the Camperdown Magistrates Court. (Kaveel Singh, News24)
Durban - Young Communist League (YCL) members in Inchanga, KwaZulu-Natal, have claimed an ANC ward councillor and other party members were involved in the killing of two people last month.
They also said they were threatened by ANC members outside the Camperdown Magistrate's Court on Wednesday where five people arrested for the shooting appeared.
The ANC, however, said it would never support the killing of people, and has demanded proof of the claims against the councillor.
Some of the YCL members told a News24 reporter outside the court that a local ward councillor was one of the shooters at the at the KwaNdokweni sports ground on January 24.
Wandile Nxumalo, a senior leader of the Inchanga YCL, said the five men who appeared in court were members of the ANC's Inchanga branch executive committee.
"We do not understand why the councillor was not arrested as well. We were at the grounds when the shooting took place and he was one of the shooters. Why have the police not arrested them?" Nxumalo asked.
Don't feel safe
Bongani Hlatshwayo, 38, and Phillip Dlamini, 68, were killed during a public meeting at the sports ground.
The killings have deepened divisions between the two tripartite alliance members with the SA Communist Party pulling out of electoral processes in the province and the ANC Youth League calling for the SACP provincial secretary to step down.
Nxumalo said they were at court in the hope justice would be served, but felt they were not safe after allegedly being threatened.
"We are here because an old, innocent man was killed. Yet, when we came here, there were supporters for these murderers saying we will not sleep tonight because they will kill us."
ANC provincial spokesperson, Mdumiseni Ntuli, told News24 said the ANC "can never support the killing of people".
"We denounce any form of this crime to any South African. We issued a statement and called on the law enforcement agencies [to] investigate the matter of killing," he said.
Ntuli said of the councillor's alleged involved in the shooting: "If they have evidence of his involvement in the crime it will serve them better if they take it to the police."
Require evidence
On the alleged threats by the councillor, Ntuli said the ANC was not aware of that conduct. "As ANC we would not expect him to behave in that way. We will require information from people who feel this way. He is a member of the ANC. If we confront him with this we require evidence."
Ntuli said the ANC was in daily contact with leadership of the SACP.
"We are in touch with the leadership on a daily basis. We are not aware [that] people feel unsafe and threatened. If we did, we would demand to know who it was and confront the issue.
"To allow [the] continuation of this situation is unacceptable. It is important that those [who were] threatened report to the police."
Nxumalo said the YCL wanted the ANCYL to halt their call for SACP provincial secretary Themba Mthembu to resign. "We are saying hands off our leader. The decision to pull out from election processes was taken by the collective and not one person."
Prince Ngcobo, another leader for the Inchanga YCL, said the community was "fed up" with being threatened.
"I urge community members to unite under [the] banner of [the] Communist Party... This is not something we will take lying down. We want fairness, not all these issues."
Bafanyana Maxwell Shange, 42, Zamokwakhe Shozi, 38, Buka Shozi 44, Nhlanhla Majola, 44, Mabhunu Madondo, 36, were all remanded in custody until February 10.