Protests against the incorporation of Khutsong into the North West province will end in time for the March 1 elections to take place there, African National Congress (ANC) chairperson Mosiuoa Lekota told the South African Broadcating Corporation on Sunday.
”By the time March 1 comes, the climate will be right, we are working here. I’m coming back here tomorrow [Monday],” he said.
”There’s no question about it, an election will be held here,” Lekota told the SABC.
He was speaking after an election meeting at the West Rand township’s stadium on Sunday, attended by between 100 and 200 ANC members.
Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at protesters outside the stadium.
Twenty-eight people were arrested for public violence after petrol bombs and other objects were thrown, Gauteng police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Mary Martins-Engelbrecht said.
South African Communist Party member Paul Ncwane said ”less than 100 people” attended Lekota’s election meeting.
”Thousands protested outside [the stadium],” he said.
”We are not prepared to vote [on March 1] unless the ANC changes its mind and says we will fall under Gauteng,” Ncwane said.
A spokesperson for the Merafong City local municipality — under which Khutsong falls — said some residents had earlier intimidated others and told them not to attend Lekota’s meeting.
”They were threatened with the burning of their houses,” Seabo Gaeganelwe said.
The SABC reported that police had to escort ANC members home after the meeting.
Lekota told the election meeting that the government would serve Khutsong residents even if it was in the North West.
Provinces were ”administrative units” and not other countries, he told reporters after the meeting on Sunday.
”The government will service people in Khutsong even if it is in North West”.
He said police would make sure the people of Khutsong were free to go and vote on March 1.
Last week angry residents declared Khutsong a no-go area for the ANC.
The SA Communist Party (SACP) said on Sunday it did not support the establishment of no-go areas or any interference with the election process.
The party said the cross-border municipality issue had been ”clumsily” handled in some cases.
”There were no attempts to engage people on why certain areas needed to be part of others,” SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande said. – Sapa