ANC branch meeting ends in bloodshed as comrades turn on each other

The was scheduled to elect a new ward councillor but ended in chaos as two factions from within the ruling party clashed.

A Pretoria politician’s bodyguard was shot when members — reportedly associated with ousted Pretoria deputy secretary of the Mayoral Committee George Matjila – interrupted the meeting. Matjila was expelled when his enemies within the ANC charged him with masterminding the ANCYL’s regional congress in Pretoria back in 2014.

“Following disputes in the region, the ANC said provincial leaders would be attending branch general meetings and a lady was sent to the meeting but she arrived with core supporters of the ward councillor and George Matjila. They told police officers who were outside to leave as the meeting would be safe,” a source told News24.

“When we tried to get into the venue, they attacked us. They threw stones at us and burnt a guard room. They said they would burn us if we tried to get in. They were only allowing people from other wards entrance.”

They added that the violence left the Maratola Primary School with shattered windows and a man injured after the mob assaulted him. ANC members who managed to escape the violence were followed home and the mess continued there.

“They went to the house of one police officer who is also an ANC member and damaged his car. They chased Tshwane MMC for corporate services Thembi Mmoko and started firing shots at her. The VIP protector retaliated and managed to drive away,” the source told News24.

According to the source, the mob then moved on to Mmoko’s house where the VIP guard apparently returned to protect those inside.

“When the protector returned to the house he was shot in the shoulder.”