The leadership of the African National Congress (ANC) in Khutsong denied claims on Friday by the Khutsong Anti-North West Forum that the party was divided about the incorporation of the town into the North West.
”As the ANC we are united in Merafong about the decision to support the government’s initiative to have the town incorporated into the North West, as this is an ANC-led government,” said the party’s sub-regional secretary, Sanele Caiya.
”As ANC members we have to ensure that all ANC policies are properly implemented and followed. The guys who are vocal about the resistance are SACP [South African Communist Party] members.”
Caiya said there was no need for the forum to call on national leaders to mediate as they were fully aware of the situation in Khutsong.
”We have been in contact with them and they are working on a solution because we understand that there can be no service delivery while there is still so much unrest,” said Caiya
The forum had earlier in the day called on ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma to mediate in the ongoing violent protests that have rocked the Merafong Community.
Organiser of the forum, Paul Ncwane, who is also the regional SACP treasurer, said the riots were caused by ANC infighting.
”This is an ANC vs ANC fight. Some ANC members in the local government believe that we should agree to be incorporated into the North West, while others believe that we should resist the incorporation — the ANC would have to deploy someone from national level to solve this,” said Ncwane.
He said the forum — made up of mainly ANC members — had requested President Thabo Mbeki to address them when the violence first erupted in late 2005.
”He never responded to our calls. We then called on the Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa, but he also never came.
”When Minister of Provincial and Local Government Sydney Mufamadi came, he ended up at the police station and did not come directly to address the people.”
Ncwane said Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota, who was then sent to Khutsong, left with egg on his face after residents told him to get out of the town.
”We initially accepted comrade Lekota …, but he then went on radio speaking badly about us. He was also very confrontational and refused to listen to the people.
”That is why people turned on him. But we believe that Zuma could be able to mediate well. If he has the time we would gladly welcome him,” said Ncwane.
The call for mediation came after Khutsong residents took to the streets again last week, protesting the incorporation.
More than 120 people have been arrested since then, including 12 who were arrested on Thursday during a violent protest that saw residents barricade roads and throw petrol bombs and stones at police and passing vehicles.
Meanwhile, the Merafong municipality said on Friday that it believed the recent protests had nothing to do with the redemarcation.
”It has nothing to do with that; we have a case where people are exploiting the situation to push their own agendas,” said municipality spokesperson Seabo Gaeganelwe.
He said if residents were truly concerned about the incorporation they would approach government directly or take the matter to the Constitutional Court as it was a national issue.
”They would not go around taking children out of school and instructing [people] to go on a rampage, damaging property.
”Why not go to the Constitutional Court? This is a national issue which was decided at parliamentary level,” said Gaeganelwe.
Police spokesperson Superintendent Louis Jacobs said the violence had subsided by Friday and that ”life was returning to normal”.
”There have been no incidents this morning [Friday)]. It has been very quiet, but police are still out monitoring. The only thing that happened was that schoolchildren were let out of school early,” said Jacobs. — Sapa