An unknown man tried to attack Ace Magashule, the leader of the African for Transformation Movement (ACT), in Welkom in the Free State, during the party’s door-to-door campaign.
The party’s spokesperson, Rankanile Mosindo, confirmed this to the Star: “That’s all we are willing to say for now, as you are well aware that the matter is now in the hands of the authorities. Let’s all wait for the process to unfold, and we believe once matters are put forward at the right platforms the truth would bear free for everyone to hear.”
He added that the party didn’t want to dwell too much on the negative as they were focusing on their campaign to get the much-needed victory to “liberate South Africans”.
A witness who was at the scene at the time of the incident, Thato Mofokeng, detailed how the young man provoked Magashule.
“The guy is an ANC Youth League member in the region, he’s bitter. These people want to blame Magashule for everything, they are fighting their own battles against him now they don’t have anything to say but to resort to thuggish behaviour,” added Mofokeng.
She said ANC leaders in the region needed to accept that some had left the ruling party because it was only serving a few elites.
Manoko Sethabela, an ACT member described the attack as “desperate” and the “last kick of a dying horse”.
Sethabela said the Youth League in the province had no plan whatsoever to attract young people under its fold, and was panicking after seeing the majority of young people in the region becoming members of ACT.
“I, personally did not benefit anything from Magashule’s administration but indirectly I have, as he has made a lot of changes in our towns especially mine. I had relatives that went to school and people getting houses under this man,” said Sethabela.
The ACT member said that the entire province was feeling and riding the Magashule wave, adding that they did so knowing his worth and what he was capable of.
Meanwhile, the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) in the region, said what had happened was a clear indication that the decision of the National Disciplinary Committee (NDC) to expel Magashule was proper.
“Our position that we support the NDC of the ANC to expel Ace from the ANC has been justified.
“We further want to emphasise to Magashule and his stooges that we are not scared of him and his stooges and that whatever he did to the community of Ward 4 will not go unaccounted for, and that he must pray that we don't meet,” the Youth League regional spokesperson Ayanda Madona said.
ACT is criss-crossing the country and the Free State province in the hope of garnering enough votes to see the party governing the country after the upcoming general elections.
The Star
Sipho Jack
sipho.jack@inl.co.za