ANC door-to-door election campaigners attacked in KZN
ANC members were attacked and injured on Sunday while conducting a door-to-door election campaign in the Lindelani area at KwaDukuza, north of Durban.
Police spokesperson Col Thembeka Mbele said that a group of political party supporters had been campaigning when they were allegedly accosted by unknown suspects who attempted to rob them of valuables.
"Two people were injured after they fell while fleeing in separate directions," said Mbele.
"They have been taken to hospital for medical attention. Police are still at the scene."
Mbele confirmed that police minister Bheki Cele was in the area at the time of the incident but was not with the group who were attacked.
"There were two groups who were conducting the campaigns. The group that was attacked is not the group that the minister was with at the time," she told TimesLIVE.
The ANC in KZN condemned the incident, alleging in a statement that the attack was carried out by members of a rival political party.
"We strongly condemn such barbaric behaviour against our members, who were campaigning peacefully when they were brutally attacked," said provincial party spokesperson Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu.
"As we speak, three ANC volunteers are being rushed to hospital in an ambulance while two others are being treated on the scene. We call on all law enforcement agencies to act speedily and arrest these thugs that threaten the democracy of our country by their acts of violence ahead of elections."
The party called for an immediate response by the electoral commission.
This is a developing story.