‘Men in ANC T-shirts’ attack Cope leader’s home

The intimidation of “opponents” by people allegedly linked to the ANC has reared its ugly head again after a small group of youth in ANC T-shirts attacked the home of Cope Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate Ndzipo Kalipa.

The three men in their 30s were arrested and are expected to appear in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court today.

Kalipa, a former Cope chief whip in the Gauteng legislature, was announced as the party’s mayoral candidate after he returned to the party from the ANC.

He is known for being vocal about lack of service delivery by Ekurhuleni and Gauteng government departments.

He laid criminal charges after men wearing ANC T-shirt entered his yard in Thokoza and cut off his fibre and telephone landline cables.

Kalipa, who was not home at the time, claimed that when his two daughters confronted the men about what they were doing, they told them this was an “ANC project”.

He was ANC branch executive committee for Ward 56 in Ekurhuleni before rejoining Cope, which recruited him as its mayoral candidate. It’s understood that did not sit well with some ANC members.

Previously, he served as SA Communist Party provincial treasurer, Sanco provincial executive, member of the Cosatu central committee and as then Transvaal leader of the Food and Allied Workers Union.

Cope experienced most intimidation from ANC members after its launch in 2008 when ANC members defected to the new party.

Its campaigns and gatherings towards the 2009 elections were list protest disrupted countrywide by ANC members.

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Cope was seen as posing a threat to the ruling party, particularly after it won 30 seats in the 2009 election, making it the second biggest opposition party after the Democratic Alliance.

Its parliamentary representation reduced drastically due to never-ending leadership squabbles between Cope president Mosiuoa Lekota and his then deputy Mbhazima Shilowa.

Having failed to organise grassroots structures, it was overtaken as the third biggest party by the Economic Freedom Fighters in 2014.

The ANC in Ekurhuleni could not be reached for comment.