Official blamed for inciting xenophobic attacks
THE Western Cape ANC councillor being investigated for inciting an attack on 2000 Zimbabweans is now under fire from his own political allies.
More than 300 members of the ANC-affiliated South African National Civic Organisation marched in De Doorns yesterday, calling for the removal of ANC ward councillor Mpumelelo Lubisi – this time after he called for the deportation of about 1000 Lesotho nationals who stay in the town.
The Sanco members have appealed to Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Sicelo Shiceka to remove Lubisi as their councillor.
“If you do not remove this councillor we will show you how to do so,” Sanco chairperson Bonisile Haus warned Shiceka yesterday.
Several community members said they were angry because when they questioned Lubisi about the slow pace of service delivery in the area, he blamed the Zimbabweans and allegedly incited young people to attack them.
Haus said: “Our youths were incited by his words to displace Zimbabweans, and their actions caused them to be arrested. Now he has again used hateful speech against Lesotho nationals.”
According to other alliance leaders in De Doorns, Lubisi called at a public meeting recently for the deportation of the Lesotho nationals who live in their own informal settlement known as Maseru.
Lubisi allegedly said that the Sotho-speaking residents should be “chased out” of De Doorns and “deported back to the homeland from which they came ”.
The ANC confirmed last month that they had suspended Lubisi while they investigated allegations that he incited a group of locals last year to attack the Zimbabweans living in De Doorns. More than 1300 Zimbabweans have been living in a United Nations refugee camp on a field in the town ever since.
Sanco also accused the municipality of wasting money on setting up serviced land for shacks, instead of building houses.
“For more than 17 years this community has had only one housing project. This project has only 147 RDP houses that were all built during (Nelson) Mandela’s term,” said the Sanco memorandum.
Lubisi has denied the allegations against him.
“What I said is that if you don’t have a South African identity book you don’t belong here. When people ask me at a meeting I can’t say Lesotho nationals are South African citizens,” Lubisi said.
He accused Sanco of trying to sabotage his project to move people living on dangerous mountain slopes and in the river bed to suitable land before the winter floods.
THE Western Cape ANC councillor being investigated for inciting an attack on 2000 Zimbabweans is now under fire from his own political allies.
More than 300 members of the ANC-affiliated South African National Civic Organisation marched in De Doorns yesterday, calling for the removal of ANC ward councillor Mpumelelo Lubisi – this time after he called for the deportation of about 1000 Lesotho nationals who stay in the town.
The Sanco members have appealed to Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Sicelo Shiceka to remove Lubisi as their councillor.
“If you do not remove this councillor we will show you how to do so,” Sanco chairperson Bonisile Haus warned Shiceka yesterday.
Several community members said they were angry because when they questioned Lubisi about the slow pace of service delivery in the area, he blamed the Zimbabweans and allegedly incited young people to attack them.
Haus said: “Our youths were incited by his words to displace Zimbabweans, and their actions caused them to be arrested. Now he has again used hateful speech against Lesotho nationals.”
According to other alliance leaders in De Doorns, Lubisi called at a public meeting recently for the deportation of the Lesotho nationals who live in their own informal settlement known as Maseru.
Lubisi allegedly said that the Sotho-speaking residents should be “chased out” of De Doorns and “deported back to the homeland from which they came ”.
The ANC confirmed last month that they had suspended Lubisi while they investigated allegations that he incited a group of locals last year to attack the Zimbabweans living in De Doorns. More than 1300 Zimbabweans have been living in a United Nations refugee camp on a field in the town ever since.
Sanco also accused the municipality of wasting money on setting up serviced land for shacks, instead of building houses.
“For more than 17 years this community has had only one housing project. This project has only 147 RDP houses that were all built during (Nelson) Mandela’s term,” said the Sanco memorandum.
Lubisi has denied the allegations against him.
“What I said is that if you don’t have a South African identity book you don’t belong here. When people ask me at a meeting I can’t say Lesotho nationals are South African citizens,” Lubisi said.
He accused Sanco of trying to sabotage his project to move people living on dangerous mountain slopes and in the river bed to suitable land before the winter floods.
- Sowetan
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