ANC murder arrest comes amid rising election rivalry
A SENIOR African National Congress (ANC) politician in North West was arrested on Monday in connection with the murder of a party official on the eve of the ANC's conference last December, and observers warn that such rivalry could increase as the ruling party prepares candidate lists for next year's elections.
In his political report at the conference last year, ANC president Jacob Zuma condemned members disrupting meetings, using violence and killing party members.
"This then raises the question what exactly could be so much at stake, that people would go so far to get their own way in the organisation," he said.
There was a spate of political murders last year, prompting the South African Communist Party in KwaZulu-Natal to speculate that there was a "contract-killing industry" in the province.
North West MEC for local government and traditional affairs China Dodovu was arrested on Monday in connection with the murder of Obuti Chika, who had been secretary of the ANC's Kenneth Kaunda district.
Mr Dodovu is the ANC's North West deputy chairman. Police arrested him at his Potchefstroom office on Monday morning.
Mr Chika was shot at point-blank range in the driveway of his home on December 14 — two days before the party conference began. He was a leader in the ANC region that lost control of the Tlokwe municipality when the party's members walked out during a vote of no confidence in the mayor, handing the Democratic Alliance control of its first municipality in North West.
Weeks before Mr Chika's murder, ANC North West secretary Kabelo Mataboge survived an assassination attempt.
Police have arrested seven other suspects for Mr Chika's murder, including North West ANC Youth League chairman Papiki Baboile, ward secretary Paul Molomonyane and councillor Itumeleng Molebatsi.
At the time of Mr Chika's death, ANC insiders in North West said his murder was linked to the commercial interests of businesspeople in the province.
Last year, former Rustenburg mayor Matthew Wolmarans and his bodyguard, Enoch Matshaba, were convicted of the murder of former Rustenburg councillor Moses Phakoe, who was believed to have evidence linking Mr Wolmarans to corruption in the municipality.
Mary de Haas, an independent researcher in KwaZulu-Natal, said on Monday that political violence in South Africa had decreased since 1994.
What had emerged since then, she said, was intraparty violence, as contestation for positions and party lists became more heated.
Increasingly linked to political violence was corruption and whistle-blowing, she added.
Ms de Haas said there had been an increase in tension — related to threats of violence — ahead of the ANC' s conference last year, which had since died down. But this was likely to change as candidate lists were prepared for the national elections next year, she said.
North West Premier Thandi Modise on Monday called on communities in the province to be calm, and to allow the law to "take its course for justice".
Hawks spokesman Capt Paul Ramaloko said the seventh suspect, possibly the trigger man, was arrested last Thursday and had led the police to the possible murder weapon in KwaZulu-Natal.
ANC North West spokesman Kenny Morolong said that the party was "shocked" by Mr Dodovu's arrest. "The law must take its course. This includes the assumption of innocent until proven guilty, and that nobody is above the law," he said.
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