PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Violence erupted at Kurland Village, resulting in the injury of five people and damage to six vehicles, three of which were taxis. The violence, taking the form of stones being cast and sticks being wielded, was initiated at around 20:30.
The police were informed and those affected made their way to the Plettenberg Bay Police Station in order to lodge formal reports.

Mary Anne Mngomezulu laid charges of intimidation against an individual only known to her by his nickname, Smokey, following his threatening her with a fire arm in the midst of the violence on Tuesday night, April 5.

The vehicle owners reported the incidents of vandalism to the SAPS, as did those who sustained physical injuries, either on the taxis or whilst boarding them. An ambulance arrived at the Plett Police station and treated the injured at around 22:30 on Tuesday night.

Later on the same evening, Mngomezulu’s vehicle was stoned when she drove past Kurland Village on her way home some 3½ hours later. She continued driving until she reached the toll gate, where she felt safe enough stop.
She phoned the police and returned to the scene of the incident with the police.

SAPS media liaison officer, Captain Malcolm Pojie confirmed that a total of 13 cases had been opened for charges of intimidation, assault and malicious damage to property. "No arrests have been made. Forensic investigation is ongoing," said Pojie.

It has been suggested that the violence appears to have been politically motivated. "It was planned," said Mngomezulu, who noticed that the local children were instructed to get out of the way before the stoning commenced. Mngomezulu heard one child say, "We are going to stone this car."

According to one eye-witness, who prefers to remain anonymous for obvious reasons, African National Congress (ANC) members from Kwanokuthula and New Horizons had gone to The Crags to support their council candidates.
Said witness alleged that an opposition meeting had been scheduled and that violence and intimidation toward ANC candidates had on previous occasions transpired following such a meeting.

The eye-witness reports that the ANC members were gathered about 50 metres from the venue of the opposition meeting and were peacefully singing when opposition members came out of the meeting venue and tried to take the ANC flag from the ANC supporters.

According to Mngomezulu, a march has taken place through a given area each week as part of the ANC election campaign following door to door visits to residents by ANC volunteers.

Mngomezulu said, "There was an ANC volunteers meeting at The Crags last week; it went okay until singing was heard outside the venue. Some of the people gathered outside wanted to come into the meeting and claimed to be ANC members. The ANC volunteers gathered inside said that those who wanted to come inside were in fact supporting independent candidates and were in fact not ANC members."

ANC Policy dictates that members who elect to support opposition candidates are subject to immediate expulsion and as such are no longer considered to be ANC members.

Those gathered in support of independent candidates expressed dissatisfaction with the ANC candidates selected to represent their wards and suggested that said candidates had not been fairly selected.

Mngomezulu explained that it was likely that such complainants did not realise that the ward boundaries went beyond their immediate community and as such were not in a position to accurately establish the fairness of the voting process.
ANC Regional Secretary Putco Mapitiza explained that the ANC is a mass movement and operates from the bottom up, whilst the opposition DA follows a more traditional hierarchical structure operating from the top down.
The ANC is based on principles, not personalities; The leadership may change, but the party principles remain the same, explained Mapitiza.


This young man was waiting to board a taxi when a rock hit his head, resulting in injury.



ARTICLE: CANDICE LUDICK