The ANC has set up a team to probe the disruption of a lecture by President Jacob Zuma, allegedly by ANCYL members.
|||The ANC has set up a team to probe the disruption of a memorial lecture by party president Jacob Zuma, allegedly by members of its youth league. But it is not a witch-hunt, the party says.
Hishaam Mohamed, Lerumo Kalako and Belinda Landingwe have been appointed, and given two weeks to file a report on the disruption of Zuma’s lecture on the second president of the ANC, Sefako Makgatho.
ANC provincial secretary Songezo Mjongile described as “regrettable” the incident at the Good Hope Centre on Thursday where about 200 people started jeering Zuma as he spoke, demanding to know: “Where is Juju (Julius Malema)?”
“We are very disappointed with the conduct of these people. We are investigating whether they are members of the ANC,” said Mjongile.
In a statement the ANCYL distanced itself from the incident, saying the protesters were “members of the ANC”.
On Facebook, members of the ANC identified one of the protesters, whose picture was published in the media, as a member of the ANC Youth League’s Dullah Omar regional executive committee.
But ANCYL provincial co-ordinator Senzeni Mphila said there was no proof the protesters were from the youth league. “We are still investigating, we are not about witch-hunts. Should anything conclusive come out of our investigations we will make recommendations about possible disciplinary (action),” said Mphila.
Although known ANCYL members present at the Good Hope Centre had been identified by comrades on Facebook, Mphila said this was not proof of their culpability.
“We are not running the organisation through rumours or social media. We have to establish facts,” said Mphila.
At an ANC rally in Philippi on Sunday, its Dullah Omar region’s secretary, Xolani Sotashe, apologised to a packed hall for the disruption of the memorial lecture.
ANCYL regional secretary Khaya Yozi, also speaking at the event, said his executive was disgusted at the turn of events last week, adding the league had no room for “such people”. - Cape Times
quinton.mtyala@inl.co.za
