Africa-Press – South-Africa. The alleged assassination attempt on Deputy President Paul Mashatile has sparked a heated debate, with some questioning the validity of the incident.
According to reports, Mashatile’s car was shot at several times while he was being driven from an ANC national executive committee meeting in Johannesburg on March 30.
While the Presidency hasn’t shared details about the incident, ANC treasurer-general Gwen Ramokgopa has cast doubt on the claims. “Usually when there are these reports, many of them are fake,” she said on Tuesday, speaking to the media at the ANC Northern Cape elective conference.
“We have seen a lot of fake things. We have referred these matters for the secretariat to deal with organisationally, and, in due course, we will respond to that.”
Northern Cape premier and provincial ANC chairperson Zamani Saul, at the elective conference, also cast doubt on the reports. “Who in his right mind would want to kill a deputy president of the ANC for a 40% party? Deputy presidents were not killed when we had 70%,” he said.
Police have confirmed a high-level investigation team has been assigned to look into the alleged shooting incident. Police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola’s office was careful not to refer to it as an assassination attempt but rather a “shooting incident”.
“After the incident, an extensive investigation was conducted and is under way, with the ballistics report concluded,” police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe said, without revealing what the report found. “Crime intelligence is continuing its regular risk and threat assessment on the president and deputy president.”
Social media users have said this was a desperate attempt to project Mashatile as a victim of attempted political assassination by his ANC adversaries ahead of the party’s 2027 elective conference.
Mashatile’s supporters have expressed alarm, saying his life was endangered. Some questioned why the ANC and Ramaphosa’s office were silent for two days, creating an impression there was doubt about the claim.
The EFF has expressed concern about the Presidency’s silence regarding the details of the incident. “In times of such gravity, transparency is paramount. The public has the right to be informed about threats to national leaders, irrespective of political affiliations,” it said.
The ANC released a statement on Tuesday, despite the first news report being published on Sunday.
In an interview with Newzroom Afrika, Mashatile’s spokesperson Keith Khoza pushed back against those suggesting the incident was stage. “We are not fabricating anything,” Khoza said. “It is unfortunate people would downplay such serious matter.”
Source: TimesLIVE
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