ANC rebukes Youth League

The ANC has stepped into the political fracas surrounding the arrest of Northern Cape MEC and ANC provincial leader John Block by slamming its youth league for calling prosecutions boss Menzi Simelane a “rented dog of a political conspiracy”.

ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu demanded, in a stern press statement on Tuesday, that the league apologise to Simelane for this.

Mthembu said the league was also “out of line for rubbishing the state security agencies and the courts of law” and that Block was yet to have his day in court to defend himself against the corruption allegations against him.

However, the ANC pledged its support to the youth league’s “Hands off John Block” campaign and vowed to keep vigil outside the courthouse until he was released from prison.

“We are certain that John Block will spend his last night in jail. He will address you tomorrow himself.” This was ANC provincial secretary, Zamani Saul’s message to hundreds of Block supporters who gathered outside the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

Mthembu said in terms of the constitution “comrade Block is innocent until proven guilty”. “Regardless of anyone’s stature or position one holds… no one is above the law,” he said, and asked that the “strong judiciary and effective organs of state” be given an opportunity to do their job.

Mthembu also said there was no truth in the league’s assertion that organs of state security like the National Prosecuting Authority and the Hawks had been set up “to operate as private armies of individuals or groupings, other than putting the security interests of the country first”. He emphasised that the ANC had confidence in these agencies.

The league’s Northern Cape secretary, Shadrack Tlhaole, on tuesday failed to explain who the people were who “rented” Simelane and what the “political conspiracy” entailed.

He said the “conspiracy” could come from parties outside the ANC, given their welcoming of Block’s arrest, but he did not want to name any opposition parties.

Cosatu’s national leadership had welcomed Block’s arrest, but Tlhaole denied that the conspiracy came from within ANC ranks.

When it was pointed out to him that Simelane had been appointed by an ANC-controlled government, Tlhaole said the league was merely protecting Block, whom the ANC had deployed as MEC for finance, economic development and tourism in the Northern Cape.

“The youth league will speak out about this when the time is right,” he said, adding that it would take up the matter with the ANC.

He also said the league would not retract the statement it had made on Monday.

The league said in this statement it had “analysed” the charges and concluded there was no “prima facie” evidence against Block, while the charges were brought by “the private army of Menzi Simelane and others”.

League spokeswoman Magdalene Moonsamy said the league’s national leadership would for now follow a hands-off approach and would not comment. “We have not yet discussed it on national level, so it is up to the province to comment, as they are closer to where it is happening,” she said.

Block was arrested last week on charges of tender fraud involving R112 million relating to the purchase of water purification equipment, allegedly at inflated prices.

He applied for bail in the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday after spending the weekend in jail.

Block’s arrest came amid leadership battles in the province before the ANC’s provincial elective conference next year.

Provincial secretary Saul is said to have ambitions to challenge Block for the position of provincial leader. - Political Bureau