Mantashe defies threats

Threats made to Eastern Cape ANC members would not stop the party fulfilling its mandate, its secretary-general, Gwede Mantashe, said Tuesday.

"We call on our structures to distance themselves from those seeking personal gain. We want to warn all those bringing the organisation into disrepute that they run the risk of excluding themselves from the organisation," Mantashe said.

The Hawks confirmed that two people were arrested last week in connection with an alleged plot to kill five ANC leaders, including the party's Eastern Cape secretary, Oscar Mabuyane, and local government MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane, the ANC's provincial spokesman.

The men appeared in court on Friday and were remanded in custody. They are due back in court today. They are suspected of being involved in a plot to kill ANC leaders who blocked their nominations for candidates in the May 18 municipal elections.

There was a revolt in the Eastern Cape ANC over its candidate lists recently, with members in some regions challenging the candidate selection process in court.

The ANC's troubles in the province did not end with the submission of its candidate lists to the Independent Electoral Commission. On Monday, 56 members from the party's OR Tambo region made an urgent application to the Mthatha High Court for an order that would force the commission to reject the candidate lists, which the applicants say were tampered with.

Mantashe said four people were arrested in connection with the compilation of the "hit list". Hawks spokesman McIntosh Polela could not be reached for comment.

Mantashe said the purported hit list showed the "extent to which the situation has deteriorated in Eastern Cape".

"As the ANC, we will not tolerate unwarranted diversions that are informed by counter-revolutionary agendas."

The ANC has had to contend with four court cases instigated by its members in Eastern Cape linked to unhappiness with candidate lists. All the cases ended in rulings favouring the ANC.

"Ordinary members of the ANC do not have resources that can pursue the matter to the high court unless there are faceless people that are bank-rolling these court cases," Mantashe said.