PANDAMONIUM broke out at the ANC Mopani offices in Tzaneen last Wednesday when the party’s regional secretary, Baisekopo Makamu, allegedly traded insults and came to blows with the Congress of the South African Students (Cosas) regional chairperson, Promise Peta.
Party members and officials witnessed the incident.
Peta said he was punched in the face by Makamu and fell to the ground. He was told to take his things and leave, he said.
“He (Makamu) later ordered his bodyguards to force me out of the office. I resisted, but he called me an agent working for his political foes to tarnish his image.
“He said I was sent by former ANC regional chairperson and Mopani mayor, Joshua Matlou, to cause trouble at the office and that my plan would never work,” Peta alleged. However, Makamu vehemently denied saying this.
Makamu said Peta walked into the offices of the ANC with his secretary, Ronny Mabuza. The two men intended to request financial aid to transport Cosas members from Mopani to a rally in Gauteng on Friday.
Makamu said he explained that the ANC had no money to give and asked Peta to leave. He said Peta resisted and the fight, which lasted for about 30 minutes, ensued.
A security guard working at the offices, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed the incident and said it had played out like a movie on TV.
“Makamu was watching and laughing when his bodyguards were beating up Peta. He asked for manpower from us to assist his bodyguards to remove Peta, who was crying for help on the ground,” the guard said.
Makamu had already left the offices when CV arrived at the scene. At that stage Peta’s clothes were tattered and torn. CV later spoke to Makamu about the incident.
“I did not lay a hand on him. I am a good person and would not hurt a fly. I only called my bodyguards to remove him from the offices because was being a nuisance. They are the ones that pushed him out as he was running amok,” Makamu told CV.
Makamu said the ANC had spent all its available funds on recent sub-regional elective conferences and the regional conference in Lulekani recently.
Makamu further told CV that Peta was an agent sent by those who were not favoured by internal elections during the regional conference. Asked who his political foes were, Makamu said he did not wish to name them.
Tzaneen cluster police spokesperson, Lt Col Moatshe Ngoepe said no criminal case relating to the incident had been opened.
