ANC Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s foray into Khayelitsha township in Cape Town turned into a political disaster when a resident tried to eject him and his party’s delegation conducting a door to door campaign ahead of the January 8 rally.
The embarrassing spectacle was beamed live on Newzroom Afrika on Tuesday, January 7, as the 24-hour news channel was tailing Mashatile and his ANC delegation in the area.
The governing party is set to hold a rally at the Nelson Mandela Park in Khayelitsha on Saturday to celebrate its 113th birthday.
Known as the January 8 Statement, the annual ANC Programme of Action will be delivered by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
It appears that the troubles started when Mashatile’s security team unknowingly blocked the unidentified family member from accessing the house during the visit.
The man was able to break the security line and started shouting, telling the delegation that they couldn’t block him from accessing his mother’s home.
He then lost his cool and ordered them to leave.
“All of you must leave my house, all of you must leave my house, all of you… leave my mother’s house, all of you. All of you leave, leave, leave, they cannot push me from my mother’s house. They must leave, all of you guys, leave,” the man who was carrying a child repeatedly demanded.
The man’s mother and sister intervened and calmed him down. At that time Mashatile’s bodyguards had formed a security wall while trying to shield the deputy president from any possible danger.
As the drama unfolded, a shocked and awkward looking Mashatile was sitting on a sofa with his eyes wide open. Later the situation was contained.
After listening to the family, Mashatile apologised to the unidentified man and his family. He explained that the misunderstanding was a result of security protocols.
“I apologize, my apologies,” Mashatile said to the man and his family.
As ANC leaders crisscrossed -crossed the Western Cape to drum up support ahead of the rally, the DA, a member of the Ramaphosa’s government of national unity (GNU) coalition, took a jab at the party. It said the ANC’s choice of a smaller venue is a sign that the party is on the decline.
“Whilst visitors from across the country are returning home from their Cape Town holiday, the ANC is extending their holiday in the Mother City under the auspices of hosting their annual January 8 birthday rally.
“The rally will be the smallest one yet, held at the tiny Khayelitsha Stadium, which will be a suitable reflection of the party’s national and provincial decline in the past elections,” the DA said in a statement signed off by Nicholas Gotsell, the party Constituency Head for Atlantis, Blaauwberg and Table View.
