ANC Chief Whip in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature Lesego Makhubela has called for the establishment of a political killings task team in Tshwane similar to that which was established in KwaZulu Natal.
Makhubela made this suggestion on Monday while addressing mourners at the memorial service of slain ANC Councillor Thabang Masemola.
“It’s sad that we continue to bury comrades who have died through the barrel of the gun because Councillor Thabang Masemola is not the first one to die in this way but is one of a plethora of Councillors who have been gunned down in Tshwane, and what is sad is that no one has ever been brought to justice regarding the said murders,” said Makhubela.
“I think it is high time we had a political killings task team established in Tshwane and I must say that here in Tshwane the Councillors that get killed are the ones belonging to the ANC,” lamented Makhubela.
“It is a pity that no one is coming to our rescue to arrest the wolf that is on the prowl against ANC comrades and we know for a fact that these murderers are criminals who are hell-bent on getting tenders by hook or crook and anyone who stands in their way gets eliminated,” he said.
Makhubela said the newly-appointed acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia knows this problem of political assassinations in Tshwane very well and as a former Provincial MEC for Community Safety he knows policing activities very well.
He pointed out that besides KwaZulu Natal, Tshwane is notorious for political killings and said people can’t engage in politics with fear in their hearts and get killed for their beliefs.
“Many of the mourners who are here today at the memorial service know the identity of the person who is killing our comrades yet nothing is being done about this person,” he said.
He said ANC members have always had differences among themselves but they have always sorted those differences amicably instead of resorting to violence.
“The ANC has unintentionally recruited criminal elements who have swelled its ranks not with intention to liberate the masses from poverty, unemployment and hunger, but solely with the aim of enjoying the benefits that accrue to those who are members of the ANC,” explained Makhubela.
“Councillor Thabang Masemola died because he wanted all projects that are in his ward to be owned by local ANC volunteers and not outsiders, yet the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ANC is keeping quiet about this matter and some of them actually work together with criminals to kill our members,” fumed Makhubela.