Agang leader Dr Mamphela Ramphele’s campaign event in Khayelitsha has been disrupted by an ANC councillor.
|||Cape Town - An ANC councillor disrupted a meeting at which Agang leader Dr Mamphela Ramphele addressed elderly Khayelitsha residents on Monday.
Ramphele hit the campaign trail on Monday, first visiting residents of gang-ridden Lavender Hill, then going to Khayelitsha at the invitation of the non-profit Uthando South Africa project. She ended her day at Manenberg police station for talks with the police.
But the Khayelitsha event was marred by what many residents called political intolerance.
During a heated exchange between ward councillor Mavis Mafoko, her supporters, organisers of the event and elders, Mafoko said she had been approached to help with an event for the elderly only to discover it was an Agang political meeting.
Mafoko shouted outside the venue, demanding to know why Ramphele’s entourage were wearing Agang T-shirts. “This is electioneering… This is an ANC ward and this is our hall.”
An unfazed Ramphele continued a speech criticising President Jacob Zuma, service delivery, and the “horror” of the police service.
James Fernie of the Uthando project said Mafoko’s behaviour was disgusting. They had invited Ramphele “as the leader of Agang”.
“Of course there will be people wearing T-shirts. They are turning this into something ugly and political.”
ANC provincial secretary Songezo Mjongile said Mafoko had told him the elderly were under the impression food parcels would be handed out.
She had got a call from people at the meeting saying “the woman (Ramphele) was insulting Zuma”.
warda.meyer@inl.co.za
Cape Argus