Magashule rioters occupy lawyers' office

2012-09-19 10:21

Ace Magashule (File, Volksblad)

Bloemfontein - A riotous group of supporters of Free State ANC leader Ace Magashule occupied the offices of Bezuidenhout Attorneys in Bloemfontein earlier this week, the Volksblad newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The group stormed into the offices on Monday and demanded copies of documents in the court case against Free State ANC leaders.

The attorney for the ANC faction which wants to unseat Magashule, Stephan Bezuidenhout, told the newspaper this amounted to intimidation.

His clients, who were unhappy ANC members, were in a legal tussle with Magashule and 25 other members of the Free State ANC about the legality of the provincial party elective conference held in Parys in June.

Magashule was re-elected as leader of the Free State ANC at the conference.

The newspaper reported that the group was brought to the attorney’s offices in buses, and sang and danced there, refusing to leave until they got copies of the documents.

Free State ANC secretary William Bulwane was not aware of the incident.

He told the newspaper the action was probably organised at branch level.

The occupiers eventually voluntarily left the offices.

Police were on standby, but kept themselves busy by regulating traffic in front of the attorney’s office, the newspaper reported.

- SAPA