Five SACP leaders suspended in party's probe of Tshwane violence

26 June 2016 - 18:12 By Roxanne Henderson

Five South African Communist Party (SACP) leaders in Tshwane‚ including one Young Communist League (YCL) member‚ have been suspended for their alleged involvement in the outbreak of violent riots in the city this past week. SACP provincial secretary Jacob Mamabolo made this announcement on Sunday at a briefing in Johannesburg‚ saying the party's issues arising from the protests are “more serious than expected”.The party set up a task team last Monday to investigate the role its members played in the Tshwane chaos and violations of the SACP's constitution.“Considering the seriousness and negative impact of this violence‚ and further considering the fact that SACP has intensified the fight against factionalism‚ corporate capture and corruption‚ it was absolutely necessary to investigate this matter‚” Mamabolo said.The SACP's Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) met on Sunday morning to discuss the task team's findings and suspended the five leaders with immediate effect.Tshwane battleground for ANCMamabolo said the anarchy‚ violence‚ and factionalism in Tshwane were a result of the consistent failure and collapse of the party's internal discipline and not the failure of law enforcement authorities.He added that the recent spate of violence was sparked by divisions and factionalism that dates back to 2011‚ when the ANC regional structures held parallel conferences‚ each electing its own leadership.The SACP's Tshwane district committee will discipline the five leaders and others fingered in the report‚ Mamabolo said.“Those members are receiving their letters first thing in the morning‚ that they are no longer members of the SACP.“They will be suspended by today. We have asked the district secretary to convey to them that with immediate effect they can't represent the SACP. Administratively they will be notified tomorrow."We further resolved that law enforcement agencies must move swiftly and decisively‚ without fear or favour to hold culprits criminally liable."Mamabolo said that the identities of the five cannot be revealed until they have been formally notified.They will be charged with bringing the SACP's name into disrepute.The task team's report will not be released to the public.The SACP will now engage its alliance partners to consider mandating the ANC's Integrity Commission to fully investigate the history and subsequent trail of violence and factionalism in Tshwane‚ Mamabolo said. ..

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