PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma yesterday called for unity in the ANC, but some members say they have lost hope that the national general council will heal their particularly strife-ridden branch.
In the ANC's ward 95 branch in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, problems in the ANC Youth League have spilled over into the branch. It is so bad that fist-fights and stabbings break out at branch meetings.
Yesterday the youth members of the ward sent a memorandum to the ANC's caretaker leader in the province, Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana, calling on him to disband their executive.
This after seven people were assaulted and allegedly stabbed at the branch's annual general meeting nine days ago. They have all laid charges of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
"We want the whole executive to step down," Sakhi Jaji, one of the victims of assault, told Sowetan.
Jaji blamed Mdladlana's provincial task team for dragging their feet in resolving the matter.
"It's been a week now since we wrote to them," Jaji. "They have not responded. Not even confirmation they have received our correspondence."
Jaji said he was not hopeful the NGC would unite their branch since he felt the task team would not tell ANC leaders exactly what had happened.
Even the police are aware that in Khayelitsha the ANC is divided into factions.
Police spokesperson Nosiphiwo Mtengwana told Sowetan that the police had established there were two factions at the annual general meeting.
"Those factions collided at the meeting," he said.
Zuma, in rebuking ANCYL leader Julius Malema at the NGC on Monday, said that ANC leaders would need to work "intensively" with the ANCYL to sort out youth league problems.
But Jaji said in his branch the youth were targeted because they were trying to dislodge ANC leaders who were "clinging to power".
Ward 95 ANCYL chairperson Andile Lili denied Jaji's accusations. He told Sowetan that those who disrupted the AGM were thugs hired by former Western Cape ANC provincial chairperson Mcebisi Skwatsha and local councillor Nolufefe Gexe.
"We beat the truth out of them. They confessed that the councillor wanted us killed," Lili said.
Asked how Skwatsha was involved he said: "He was the first, together with the councillor, to visit them (the people who were assaulted) at the local clinic."
Skwatsha denied any involvement, saying he was not at the clinic but at an ANC provincial general council (PGC) last week.
Khayelitsha ANC ward strife-torn
PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma yesterday called for unity in the ANC, but some members say they have lost hope that the national general council will heal their particularly strife-ridden branch.
In the ANC's ward 95 branch in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, problems in the ANC Youth League have spilled over into the branch. It is so bad that fist-fights and stabbings break out at branch meetings.
Yesterday the youth members of the ward sent a memorandum to the ANC's caretaker leader in the province, Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana, calling on him to disband their executive.
This after seven people were assaulted and allegedly stabbed at the branch's annual general meeting nine days ago. They have all laid charges of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
"We want the whole executive to step down," Sakhi Jaji, one of the victims of assault, told Sowetan.
Jaji blamed Mdladlana's provincial task team for dragging their feet in resolving the matter.
"It's been a week now since we wrote to them," Jaji. "They have not responded. Not even confirmation they have received our correspondence."
Jaji said he was not hopeful the NGC would unite their branch since he felt the task team would not tell ANC leaders exactly what had happened.
Even the police are aware that in Khayelitsha the ANC is divided into factions.
Police spokesperson Nosiphiwo Mtengwana told Sowetan that the police had established there were two factions at the annual general meeting.
"Those factions collided at the meeting," he said.
Zuma, in rebuking ANCYL leader Julius Malema at the NGC on Monday, said that ANC leaders would need to work "intensively" with the ANCYL to sort out youth league problems.
But Jaji said in his branch the youth were targeted because they were trying to dislodge ANC leaders who were "clinging to power".
Ward 95 ANCYL chairperson Andile Lili denied Jaji's accusations. He told Sowetan that those who disrupted the AGM were thugs hired by former Western Cape ANC provincial chairperson Mcebisi Skwatsha and local councillor Nolufefe Gexe.
"We beat the truth out of them. They confessed that the councillor wanted us killed," Lili said.
Asked how Skwatsha was involved he said: "He was the first, together with the councillor, to visit them (the people who were assaulted) at the local clinic."
Skwatsha denied any involvement, saying he was not at the clinic but at an ANC provincial general council (PGC) last week.
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