ANC regional leader faces assault charge

An Aliwal North ANC branch member has laid an assault charge against his regional secretary following a fight at a branch meeting. 

The ward 6 meeting in Aliwal North’s Mzingisi Hall on Thursday night was meant to elect an ANC ward candidate for the August 3 elections, but police had to be called in to defuse factions warring over who should top the list.

Things came to a head when the Alfred Nzo regional secretary Mfundo Bongela proposed that a candidate earlier nominated as the ideal ANC ward councillor was asked to withdraw his nomination.

Papiki Mothiane said the candidate was the most popular in the area but the regional leaders proposed that he be withdrawn from the list.

Mothiane said after heated debate Bongela proposed that the meeting be called off, but this went against the will of most people at the meeting.

At about 7pm the lights went off, forcing everyone at the meeting to walk out amid verbal exchanges between some regional leaders and general members.

Branch member Monwabisi Masina approached Bongela, and pleaded that he hand over the keys to the hall so that the meeting could continue.

Masina claimed Bongela hit him in the face. Masina rushed to the Dukathole police station and filed an assault complaint against Bongela.

But Bongela said he was not aware of any case opened against him.

Aliwal North police spokesman Captain Ursula Roelofse would not confirm if the case had been filed against Bongela as the matter was under investigation.

Bongela said Masina was the brother of the very ANC candidate they advised be left off the list because of previous records of ill-discipline.