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Former Youth League deputy president Ronald Lamola has likened the heavy police presence outside ANC headquarters in response to the #OccupyLuthuliHouse protest to events that lead up to the Marikana killings in 2012.
“[It’s shocking that] the ANC would allow the serious kind of abuse of state power and security, because those were the kinds of scenes seen before people were massacred in Marikana,” he said.
Lamola is part of a handful of supporters behind the #OccupyLuthuliHouse campaign, which is calling for the immediate resignation of ANC president Jacob Zuma and his national executive committee.
They claim the executive committee has failed to hold the party’s president to account.
The attempt to occupy ANC headquarters has been met with a strong show of force, with water tankers, Nyalas and public order police on scene. The ANC’s own Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association has come out in numbers, along with the Women’s League and Youth League, who claim they are defending the ANC.
Lamola also expressed disappointment in the Women’s League for labelling those who were behind the occupy movement as “cowards”.
“[It is] shocking that such a statement can come from our mothers – we are risking our lives, we are risking issues of employment. Some have been threatened with economic sanctions and harassment, so how do you call such people cowards,” Lamola asked.
The Gauteng ANC’s provincial executive committee has discouraged its members from participating in the protest.
The committee, instead, called on its members to wait for a possible “special national consultative conference”.
The ANC’s spokesperson, Khusela Sangoni, called on members to exercise maximum restraint and participate in a peaceful protest.
The #OccupyLuthuliHouse movement said this morning that the threats of violence it received from some quarters of the ANC, and the “baffling” security measures outside the party’s headquarters resembled tactics used by the apartheid regime.
“We have noted with shock from our supporters and comrades coming from various provinces who have been threatened by violence through state machinery used to discourage our cause. This is evidence of the degree of intolerance that has crippled our organisation,” it said.
“The prevailing culture of intolerance in our ranks is rather unfortunate and sadly depicts anyone with dissenting views as an enemy or agent provocateurs.”
The movement said it would not retaliate against any provocation of violence.
“However given the potential severity of violent threats, we want to appeal to the multitudes of people who confirmed that they will join us this morning not to come.
“Should we be attacked let it be, we will not retreat for ours is a just cause. We maintain that the ANC will not die in our lifetime.”
ANC communications head Khusela Sangoni said that any protest should be conducted peacefully.
“We wouldn’t be able to speak on behalf of the leagues but we would want to call on everyone who is coming to Luthuli House today, whether they are coming to defend it or occupy it, to exercise maximum restraint,” she said.
“We would not like to see any provocation what so ever. As the ANC we remain committed to ensuring that this demonstration is peaceful as well as ensuring the grievances that are raised are given the necessary attention,” Sangoni added.
On Friday, Tshwane Youth League chairperson Lesego Makhubela, his deputy Ezra Letsoalo and regional secretary Ratshi Mashamba stormed the occupy movement briefing, claiming supporters of the movement had no permission to speak under the banner of the ANC.
- News24
