/ 3 May 2011

KwaZulu-Natal premier’s car stoned during meeting

Dissatisfaction about the African National Congress (ANC) nomination process for the election candidates turned ugly on Monday afternoon when the KwaZulu-Natal premier’s car was stoned.

Dr Zweli Mkhize, who is also ANC chairperson in KwaZulu-Natal, was not in his car when it was damaged, said ANC provincial secretary Sihle Zikalala.

“We believe that it was damaged when two groups were fighting. He was not the target,” said Zikalala.

At the time, Mkhize and other ANC leaders were trying to calm down a group of supporters unhappy about the party’s nomination of candidates for the May 18 local government election.

Zikalala said Mkhize and the other ANC leaders went to KwaXimba to address aggrieved members.

“We know that some people are bitter about what happened during the nomination process. We are busy addressing that problem. We went there to address that,” he said.

Malicious damage to property
Police spokesperson director Phindile Radebe said the police were investigating a case of malicious damage to property.

She could not detail the extent of the damage to Mkhize’s car.

“We are busy investigating and no one has been arrested in connection with the matter,” she said.

The ANC leaders who attended the public meeting included ANC eThekwini region chairperson Stanley Makhathini. KwaXimba falls under the eThekwini region.

Asked if the ANC would investigate the matter and expel the culprits, Zikalala said the ANC believed there was a need to engage its aggrieved supporters.

“We are busy explaining to them the process that was followed during the nomination process. We will also continue to entertain their grievances and if there is a valid reason, we will take an appropriate decision,” he said.

There has been widespread dissatisfaction about the ANC’s nomination process.

President Jacob Zuma recently announced that the ANC would remove people if it found that they had been nominated in an improper way. — Sapa