No warring factions in North West, says ANC

The African National Congress (ANC) in the North West was not divided into warring factions, a provincial party spokesperson said on Tuesday.

“Despite what we have said about this matter over and over again, it has been clear to us for some time that media have nevertheless found it in their interest to sustain the mischievous notion that the ANC is divided into two warring factions,” said spokesperson Oupa Matla in a statement.

He was referring to media reports after the death of ANC councillor in the province, Moss Phakwe, 53, who was shot outside his home on Saturday.

The report said tension between warring factions in the ruling party boiled over when prominent ANC politicians, believed to be allies of former president Thabo Mbeki, were chased from Phakwe’s home.

Matla added that the province had “for some time been experiencing much frantic activity focussed on fomenting [sic] or encouraging tensions and conflict within the ANC and within our tripartite alliance”.

The “strategic intention” of this was to distract the party from its efforts to win the upcoming election, Matla said. He cited media reports about such divisions as an example.—Sapa