ANC's poo-protesting Andile Lili guilty of incitement to murder

24 May 2022 - 20:50
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Andile Lili, who lead the poo protests in 2014, has been found guilty of incitement to commit murder.
Andile Lili, who lead the poo protests in 2014, has been found guilty of incitement to commit murder.
Image: File/ Adrian de Kock

Controversial ANC member Andile Lili has been convicted of two counts of attending illegal gatherings outside the Bellville magistrate's court,  inciting members of Ses’khona People’s Movement to murder, and common assault.

Lili, a member of the Western Cape provincial legislature, was convicted on Tuesday, almost seven years since he committed the crimes. He is also a member of the interim provincial committee which has been running the party's affairs in the province since August 2019.

He was a member of the Ses’khona People’s Movement when he was charged. 

Addressing members of that movement who were gathered outside the Bellville court in July 2015, Lili said criminals should be killed.

“Sometimes [criminals] are arrested ... but the justice system releases them. So the only thing we can do is to kill immediately if we find a criminal.

“We must kill them‚ comrades! We are liberating ourselves from criminals. Police are trying‚ but the justice system is failing us,” he said.

Lili and his supporters were at the time in court to hear sentencing in the case where he and other Ses’khona members were found guilty for throwing excrement at the Cape Town International Airport.

According to the NPA’s Eric Ntabazalila, state advocate Peter Damon, who has prosecuted the case since 2014, confirmed that Lili was convicted for attending an illegal gathering outside the Bellville magistrate’s court on August 12 2014; attending an illegal gathering outside the same court on July 28, 2015; inciting members of Ses’khona People’s Movement to murder outside the court on July 28 2015; and common assault in that he threatened complainants that he would have them shot.

After the conviction, Damon said: “Justice has finally prevailed. The prosecution is satisfied with the verdict and message that all people within SA, are subject to the rule of law.”

The case has been postponed until August 12 for pre-sentence reports and sentencing.

In a statement, the ANC in the Western Cape said it was studying the judgment and its implications.

“The provincial leadership will at the appropriate time and having processed this matter issue a directive in line with policies of the organisation that relate to a member being convicted by a court of law.”

Lili, who led a faeces-dumping protest at some of Cape Town’s prominent landmarks while protesting against poor service delivery told TimesLIVE in February that he was ready to lead the ANC in the Western Cape. 

He said he would serve in any position ANC branches nominated him for.

“I will stand for any position, we are in a crisis here. Any position, if I am nominated, I will accept,” he said at the time.


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