Senior ANC member off the hook after man injured

A senior ANC member accused of knocking down a fellow party member when trying to speed off during a fight at a branch elective conference in Tzaneen, Limpopo, has been released from prison.

Ralph “The Rock” Mokgomole, who is the party’s ward 32 chair in Tzaneen, was arrested on Thursday last week but released on Monday after the injured man decided to withdraw the case against him.

ANC leader released after injured man withdrew case

But soon after being released from hospital over the weekend, the injured man and the other two men were arrested because Mokgomole opened a case of malicious damage to property, accusing them of damaging his car on 16 May, when party members were fighting for positions.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson in Limpopo Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi has confirmed that all the four men had been released after the charges were withdrawn.

“They were both nolle prosequi, [the legal proceedings against the defendant stopped and the charges dismissed] after the complainants had filed their withdrawal statements stating that they wanted the matter to be withdrawn.”

ALSO READ: Chaos erupts over ANC leadership battle in Limpopo

An ANC member, who asked not to be named fearing reprisal, confirmed that the party members who attended the branch executive committee elective conference in Wisani Village started fighting after Mokgomole was elected as ward 32 chair.

“We were all gathered at the school yard when a group comprising our members went inside the hall, excluding others, and started electing one another, leaving us outside.

“The reason they did that was because they knew that we were not going to elect the current leadership.

Fight at elective conference

“Then the crowd demanded to go inside and were denied access that is why they started fighting.

“When Mokgomole realised that people were angry and ready to fight him, he got into his car and drove into the crowd, injuring one person,” said the source.

ALSO READ: ANC Limpopo region in push to oust Lephalale mayor

Yesterday, Mokgomole denied that he intentionally drove into the crowd.

He said he had received information that there were people vandalising his car. He found a group of people had surrounded it and some were sitting on top of it.

“I got into the car and sped off and one of the people on top of it fell to the ground and was injured.

Mokgomole denied intentionally driving into crowd

“When I was at the police station opening a case, some people came with the injured man to open a case against me and later I was arrested.

“I don’t know why he withdrew the case against me but I withdrew the case against them because as a leader, I believe that I don’t have to destroy the future of the people I lead by making them have criminal records.”

ALSO READ: Limpopo ANC divided over Tshitereke Matibe’s bid for fourth term as Vhembe chair

Political analyst Goodenough Mashego said the big mistake the ANC made was to create careers out of politics.