A family friend of the person who was shot outside the Pretoria Showgrounds ahead of the ANC’s announcement of the mayoral candidate for Tshwane on Sunday, says the incident was triggered by factionalism.
“I was not there but my cousin was. My cousin called me to inform me that Mollo Modihe, 38, had been shot by one member from the other faction,” said the man, who asked not to be named.
“They had an argument and the guy took out a gun and shot him. They were supporting the incumbent mayor of Tshwane, Sputla [Kgosientso Ramokgopa] but those who wanted his deputy to be the mayor, are the ones who shot him.”
Modihe was shot in the leg and upper body and was left seriously injured. The shooting happened as party members were waiting to be briefed following a meeting by party leaders on who would be the mayoral candidate for the upcoming local government elections.
The ANC announced mayoral candidates for all the other metros on Saturday, but Tshwane was left out, with engagements planned for Sunday.
It was indicated on Sunday morning by party insiders that the ANC had decided to rope in former public works minister Thoko Didiza to contest the elections. But before ANC members could be briefed about this, chaos broke out.
A shop owner near the venue said they heard a gunshot on Sunday evening, while rocks were hurled around, breaking a shop window. A palisade fence near the venue was damaged and police tape surrounded the area along WF Nkomo Street where the shooting occurred.
But the ANC said the meeting was not even held at the showgrounds.
Tshwane mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa’s spokesperson, Blessing Manale, said the National Executive Committee members, the PEC and the Regional Executive Committee had their meeting at the Centurion constituency office and not the showgrounds.
“The shooting took place at Tshwane Event Centre before the arrival of the leadership to give the outcome the final candidates decision. One person was injured and taken to hospital and the metro police and SAPS are on site and no arrests have been made,” he said.
Journalists were not allowed to film scenes of the violence on Sunday evening. Tanya de Vente-Bijker, chairperson of the National Press Club, said deputy chairperson and Rekord content manager, Simone Heradien, was on Sunday forbidden by the police from taking photos within a public precinct of an alleged crime scene.
“While taking photos, Colonel Modise of Central SAPS told Heradien that she could not take photos despite the fact that she was on the side of the street in a public spot, clear of the police cordoned-off taped barricade of the alleged crime scene,” she said. – News24