By Craig Kotze
VEREENIGING. – The recent midnight blaze that left the ANC Sedibeng regional headquarters in Vereeniging completely gutted in a pre-mayoral election attack has been confirmed as a deliberate act of arson, according to Police.
Police have also appealed to anyone with information on the attack to contact them as soon as possible at the Vereeniging Police station – those with information can ask to speak with the Head of Detectives at the station. No arrests have yet been made.
But Police refused to speculate whatsoever on possible motives for the devastating attack, despite media reports claiming it was in protest at the nomination and election of Emfuleni Executive Mayor Gift Moerane.
Brigadier Sonja Slabbert, station commander of the Vereeniging Police station, confirmed on Ster’s inquiry this week that the house-burning had now been confirmed a case of arson.
“Yes, I can confirm that this is now formally a case of arson. An as-yet unidentified accelerant was used but we are still awaiting forensic tests to establish what exactly it is.
“It was dark at the time and no arrests have been made, nor have we yet identified any suspects,” said Brigadier Slabbert.
She declined to comment when asked whether the blaze was started in the records section containing details of ANC membership as reported by some media, reportedly in an attempt to obscure whether then mayoral candidate (now already elected Executive Mayor) Gift Moerane was a member in good standing.
But intelligence sources have told Ster that the reported epicentre of the blaze story – to supposedly obscure Moerane’s ANC membership details – was likely misinformation designed to confuse as to the identity of the true attackers.
“This seems to be opportunistic speculation to take investigators into a certain direction,” sources said.
A caretaker was said to have been on the premises at the time but was not injured, nor were any other injuries reported.
The arson attack on the ANC headquarters took place at the height of intense factional disputes within the ruling ANC in Sedibeng and Emfuleni and after it became clear that ANC Gauteng had selected Moerane over the heads of local candidates.
“The house-burning was a targeted action to intimidate Gift Moerane to withdraw his candidacy for Executive Mayor, but he is a man of steely resolve and is determined to follow the leadership of the ANC and to serve in Emfuleni,” ANC sources told Ster.
