ANC

The African National Congress (ANC) have cancelled their birthday event scheduled for 8 January 2021 amid COVID-19 related concerns. Photo: GCIS

Angry ANC members trap journalists, staff inside party headquarters

ANC veterans were briefing media from the party’s Luthuli House headquarters when members from the North West blockaded all entrances

ANC

The African National Congress (ANC) have cancelled their birthday event scheduled for 8 January 2021 amid COVID-19 related concerns. Photo: GCIS

A group of protesting African National Congress (ANC) members from the North West have blocked the entrance and exits at Luthuli House, the party’s official headquarters in Johannesburg. They are reportedly not happy with how branch issues and the accreditation process are being handled, ahead of their provincial elective conference next week.

ANC veterans had been holding a media briefing on Friday, 17 June 2022, when party members from the North West arrived and blockaded the two entrances, leaving them (the veterans) and journalists attending the presser, trapped. It wasn’t long before law enforcement as well as private security intervened and moved the group away from the entrances.

ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe is reportedly set to engage the disgruntled group.

DISGRUNTLED ANC MEMBERS HAD PLANNED ‘AMBUSH’

It appears that the drama by the angry ANC North West members had been in the works for at least a week. According to IOL, the grouping is aligned to the RET faction (Radical Economic Transformation), which are aiming at unseating party president Cyril Ramaphosa at the upcoming elective conference in December.

The factional group is reportedly outraged over Ramaphosa’s robbery scandal and are demanding that he step down while the relevant authorities investigate.

Former spy boss Arthur Fraser laid criminal charges against Ramaphosa last week, claiming he concealed the theft of R62 million that had been kept on his farm in Phala Phala, Limpopo. He also alleges that the suspects were kidnapped and interrogated, before being offered money for their silence.

Ramaphosa has admitted there was a robbery on his property, but denies being criminally liable and says the monies stolen were proceeds from the sale of cattle on his farm.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) said it would be writing to the Commissioner of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) in order to get to the bottom of the issue.

Opposition leader John Steenhuisen said he wants SARS to investigate whether the $4 million –was declared and he wants SARB to determine whether the money was related to potential money laundering.

ALSO READ: Mabuza tells MPs there’s no need for Ramaphosa to step down