Fred Esbend Five national and regional office-bearers of the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) have been implicated in an alleged plot to assassinate Eastern Cape African National Congress caucus chairperson, Elvis Bana.
Although Sanco is an alliance partner of the ANC, there has been bitter rivalry between the two in the Eastern Cape, particularly in Uitenhage, where Bana is a leading ANC figure. The tensions date back to 1997 when Sanco regional leader Dan Sandi was ousted as chairperson of the Western District Council and replaced by an ANC official.
Bana has labelled the alleged plotters as ”power-hungry individuals”. But Sanco has dismissed his claims as lies, saying Bana is threatened by the increasing community support Sanco is winning from the ANC in its fight to combat crime in the townships. ”I do not see myself as important as my main objective is to contribute towards the building of a better country for all to live in,” Bana said. ”However, one will always find political opportunists people who are ambitious and who will find that the only way of getting somewhere is to plan, plot, orchestrate or develop means so as to eliminate a special individual standing in their way.” Bana said an ANC supporter who went to the Uitenhage Sanco offices on May 10 overheard people, some of whom he claims are regional and national office bearers of the civic organisation, plotting to have him assassinated before June.
The matter was immediately reported to the police and the person who blew the whistle placed in the police witness protection programme. Police confirmed no arrests have been made and the matter is being investigated by the National Intelligence Agency and top police investigators from the Eastern Cape provincial commissioner’s office. Bana said although he was fearful about his safety, he will continue his work in the community. Attempts to obtain comment from the top structures of Sanco in the Eastern Cape proved fruitless. Sanco deputy president Mike Nzotoyi declined to comment and referred the Mail & Guardian to Sanco’s western district chair- person, Sandi, who also declined to comment. Sanco Uitenhage’s head of safety and security, Elijah Mkavu, said the organisation is conducting its own investigation into the matter and will only respond once investigations are completed. He described relations between the civic organisation and ANC as ”improved” and said Sanco commits itself to a resolution taken at its national conference in April to work with the ANC.