Alliance clash

A bloody clash between alliance partners was avoided when Police formed a line between a group of people armed with knobkerries, bricks and other harmful objects who identified themselves to be from the African National Congress (ANC) Peter Mokaba region and had barricaded the road to deny marchers from the South African Communist Party (SACP) a platform to hand over copies of a memorandum of grievances to Capricorn District Executive Mayor, John Mpe on Friday. The SACP was calling for his head as they claimed he used his powers to influence the awarding of tenders while Capricorn District Municipality (CDM) Supply Chain Manager and had also played a part in VBS Mutual Bank investments made by the municipality.
The ANC group was reportedly at the venue to protect Mpe as they claimed the exercise by the SACP to be a personal attack because he had nothing to do with VBS investments. The Police had to form a line between the two groups to ensure that they don’t engage in physical fights. The SACP group called for his removal as the party’s second deputy-general secretary Solly Mapaila indicated that they had opened a criminal case for investigations.
“What we are fighting is a decadent, rotten criminal and a corrupt value system that is expressing itself inside the ANC. When we are dealing with this matter there will be sharpening of contradictions. Those who are corrupt and those who want to retain the value system of our movement. We are not going to fight anyone wearing a T-shirt with the face of the late Peter Mokaba because he was never corrupt,” Mapaila commended.
He further stressed that this was a challenge inside the movement to seek themselves out around the differences that existed. Blocking an organised march and carrying knobkerries is not the values of the ANC, he reckoned.
SACP’s Castro Pilusa district chairperson Dan Mosena alleged that there were reports highlighting Mpe’s corrupt tendencies and reiterated that action must be taken against VBS looters and those responsible for the investments. He said Mpe must vacate the office and stop trying to be a law unto himself. Mosena went on to claim that Mpe dismissed employees who wanted him to pay back the money he received illegally.
ANC Sefako Makgatho sub-regional secretary Jafta Lebese, who was among a group barricading the road indicated that the attack on Mpe was personal because he exposed the real person who invested money with VBS. He claimed that there was no corruption but transparency at CDM under the leadership of Mpe and would not allow anyone to drag his name through mud.
The memorandum had to be received by either Mpe or Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Tradition Affairs MEC Jerry Ndou but none of the two was available. Officials from the two offices, Blanco Boloka and Sekonya Magerule were delegated to represent their respective political heads and committed to deliver the copies to relevant people who would respond accordingly.
Mpe told Polokwane Observer that he could have been charged in 2007 when he was the supply chain manager if he had anything to do with awarding tenders illegally. He went on to indicate that he did not benefit in any way from VBS but rather acted against people who invested money with the bank and had also taken disciplinary action against people responsible for doing so. Mpe said the march to the district municipal offices by the SACP was just an attempted smear campaign by people who are hungry for power.

Story: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za