Violence in the ANC seems to be escalating as the 2019 elections draw nearer.

The New York Times recently ran a story on the political assassinations that have become more frequent in the last couple of years.

I guess that’s why businessmen are now rocking up at tender meetings with armed security guards in tow.

Over the past weekend, two separate ANC meetings erupted into violent chaos.

The first was a meeting of the ANC Youth League Western Cape on Friday. The Citizen reports that spokesperson Monwabisi Bahlekazi described the antics at the meeting as “robust engagements”.

Decide for yourself:

More from Bahlekazi:

He said the meeting had received feedback from their chairperson and secretary on their deployment to lead the lobbying process in other provinces for the Western Cape to occupy the position of deputy president for the league “in the person of Sifiso Tso Mtsweni” when the league’s national congress takes place.

“The meeting unanimously resolved on supporting Reggie Nkabinde and Sifiso Tso Mtsweni as the president and deputy president of the Youth League, respectively.

He said, though, that they had “noted the video that has been doing the rounds on social media of an unfortunate and unacceptable incident that occurred in the meeting. We owe our members, former Youth League leaders and activists, the ANC, and society as a whole an unreserved apology for this behaviour that has taken place.

The “robust engagements” are being investigated, and Bahlekazi is calling for unity in the party.

Following this incident, violence erupted again at an ANC branch meeting in Wells Estate near Port Elizabeth on Sunday. According to Times LIVE, members were beaten up, and branch leader Thandolwethu Gebengana (pictured right up top) sustained two stab wounds in his back. He was also hit with a glass object above his right eye.

This incident was also captured on video:

Gebengana was rushed to hospital where he received multiple stitches and has opened a case at the Swartkops police station.

Gebengana alleged that a group of young boys led by a woman‚ Mandisa Masiki‚ entered the hall carrying knives‚ beer bottles and wooden planks.

Masiki is alleged to be part of a parallel branch structure in Ward 60.

Gebengana said: “They entered the hall just as we were busy with registration… Somehow they started hitting the older women who had arrived early at the hall.

“There’s nothing more hurtful than seeing a youth hitting an elderly woman.

“When I tried to intervene‚ they came for me and I was hit with a bottle or a glass and I must have blacked out for a bit but when I woke up‚ I was rushed to the hospital by the ward councillor [Mvuzo Mbelekane].”

Masiki has denied that there were any knives or bottles at the meeting.

“They are lying and exaggerating. Why would people bring knives to a meeting? Why would they bring glasses to a meeting? They just hit each other with chairs‚” Masiki said.

She added that it was‚ in fact‚ Gebengana who started the altercation‚ which she labelled the “BGM festival of flying chairs”.

I’m going to state the obvious here and point out that a person can’t get bottled and stabbed if there are no bottles or knives in the room.

At this rate, the party is going to literally kill itself from the inside if they can’t maintain order at their meetings.

[source:citizen&timeslive]