/ 9 November 2005

ANC gunman receives suspended punishment

The African National Congress in the Western Cape has disciplined a member who fired shots in the air at a chaotic branch meeting in September, and accepted his protestations of loyalty to the provincial leadership.

A disciplinary committee has sentenced Douglas Ndawonde to expulsion, but suspended the punishment for one year, which means he can continue to participate in party activities.

In a statement he read out at a media conference in Cape Town on Wednesday, Ndawonde, a former branch chairperson, admitted that he ”erred against the constitution of the ANC” by firing five shots from his gun at the meeting at Chuma School in Khayelitsha.

”In doing this, my conduct caused a disruption of an ANC meeting,” he said.

He said in the statement that he condemns the disruption of ANC meetings and accepts the authority of the ANC’s provincial leadership.

However, answering journalists’ questions, he claimed he had in fact been ”trying to calm the situation” by firing his gun.

”When I arrived on the scene, it was a hell of a fight. I did not even know who was fighting who,” he said.

Reports at the time said party members had used bricks and chairs as weapons, and that a councillor was rushed to hospital after being hit by a brick.

ANC provincial secretary Mcebisi Skwatsha told Wednesday’s media conference that the party is pleased Ndawonde has accepted the authority of the provincial leadership, and regards the matter as settled.

He said the ANC is ”not keen” to lay criminal charges against Ndawonde over the shooting.

Four other ANC members are currently facing disciplinary hearings related to the chaotic meeting, and another five are expected to follow.

The provincial leadership has been under fire from dissident ANC members, who are unhappy in part over the selection of candidates for the coming local government elections.

It has come under fire from both the South African Communist Party and the Congress of South African Trade Unions in the province over its handling of the dissidents. — Sapa