Watch: ‘We’ll take our votes to the DA‚ finish and klaar‚’ Tshwane protesters threaten

21 June 2016 - 15:58 By Nomahlubi Jordaan

They didn’t want their faces to be seen, but weren’t scared to have their voices heard. A group of disgruntled bandanna-wearing African National Congress supporters in Tshwane used those voices to threaten to vote for the Democratic Alliance (DA) should the ruling party not go back on its pick of Thoko Didiza as its mayoral candidate. “No Sputla‚ no votes. We’ll take our votes to the DA‚ finish and klaar‚” one woman screams.“We say phantsi ngo Didiza phantsi [down with Didiza‚ down]. We don’t want her‚” chimes in another. “Phambili ngo Sputla phambili [forward with Sputla‚ forward.”In Pictures: Tshwane in chaosThe ANC's decision to rope in Thoko Didiza as a compromise mayoral candidate for Tshwane has backfired - angry party members have run amok, burning buses and clashing with the police. “Sputla is helping us with everything‚ now they want to take Sputla away from us‚” another shouts.Sputla is current executive mayor Kgosientso Sputla Ramokgopa‚ who was one of three people who were nominated by ANC branches in the region‚ only to be replaced by Didiza by the party’s national leadership. Although Didiza resides in the capital‚ Sputla supporters have latched onto the fact that she originally hails from Durban to deride her as an outsider.“We are not going to allow anyone from outside to come to our city. Does she [Didiza] know our street names? She can’t even pronounce it‚” a voice of a man is heard shouting off-camera.Mantashe: ANC won’t back down on DidizaAfrican National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Gwede Mantashe is adamant that the ruling party would not reverse its decision to appoint Thoko Didiza as a mayoral candidate for Tshwane. Another makes reference to President Jacob Zuma’s controversial KwaZulu-Natal homestead: “We don’t want Nkandla here. They must take it to Natal. This is Atteridgeville.”On Monday and Tuesday‚ disgruntled ANC members went on a rampage‚ blocking roads with burning tyres and rocks and torching buses and trucks...

There’s never been a more important time to support independent media.

From World War 1 to present-day cosmopolitan South Africa and beyond, the Sunday Times has been a pillar in covering the stories that matter to you.

For just R80 you can become a premium member (digital access) and support a publication that has played an important political and social role in South Africa for over a century of Sundays. You can cancel anytime.

Already subscribed? Sign in below.



Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@timeslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.