Attack on MEC not the first - SACP
2010-10-20 19:05
Johannesburg - The attack on Mpumalanga's human settlements MEC Madala Masuku by a blue-light flashing BMW is the third of its kind this year, the provincial SACP branch said on Wednesday.
Masuku was attacked twice in February, said SA Communist Party deputy secretary Lucky Mbuyane.
In the one incident Masuku was followed home by an unknown car but he managed to escape when he entered his house.
That same weekend, Masuku was travelling from Nelspruit to Witbank when he realised two cars were following him.
Mbuyane said this time the MEC sped off to a nearby hotel to get away from his followers.
In the latest incident, on Monday night, Masuku and two of his bodyguards were shot at and then robbed by men in a silver BMW five series with a flashing blue light on the N12 near the Bapsfontein off-ramp.
"We hope and believe this is not a systematic attack and intimidation (of) members of the communist party in the province," Mbuyane said.
"We want to urge the police and the security force in general to investigate this issue seriously because it may be starting to raise concern that there are people who are deliberately attacking our members to sow division and mistrust within our movement," he said.
"We hope for a speedy resolution of this matter so that the culprits are brought to justice."
The party called on the public to work with the police in solving the matter.
No arrests
"We also want to call on the minister of police to institute a task team that will deal with cases where senior leaders of our movement are being deliberately attacked in the province," said Mbuyane.
No one had yet been arrested in connection with the recent attack on Masuku.
Police dismissed the possibility that the attack could be linked to other potentially politically motivated incidents in the province and the possible existence of a "hit list".
Captain Leonard Hlathi said police thought Monday's incident was "just mischief".
Victor Mlimi, a deputy director in Masuku's department, was recently charged with fraud, forgery and uttering along with Sunday Times reporter Mzilikazi wa Afrika.
Wa Afrika was in possession of a letter of resignation purportedly from the province's premier, David Mabuza.
The charges against Wa Afrika and Mlimi were withdrawn on September 8.
- SAPA
