Rustenburg - An ANC councillor was held hostage, assaulted and his car torched in Lethabong near Rustenburg, North West at an ANC branch meeting.
The attack on councillor Wilson Fulani was reportedly linked to the selection of candidates for the coming ANC elective conference.
The former fireman was allegedly assaulted at the branch executive committee (BEC) of the ANC on Monday evening at Iketleetso Secondary School in Lethabong.
The meeting was called to prepare for the branch general meeting (BGM) which was postponed on Sunday.
Fulani, who is also the branch chairperson, said the BGM on Sunday was postponed because it was not in line with ANC procedures.
"We called a branch executive committee (BEC) meeting on Monday, to prepare for the BGM, when the meeting was about to start a group of people, some of them are BEC members, stormed into the meeting and kicked books off the tables. The group locked the gates.
"I was held hostage together with Nkitseng Tshimola, the branch secretary, but he was later released. The group who were seemly drunk told me they were waiting for the night to fall and they will deal with me. They attacked me.
“I tried to run away, but they caught me. I fell down and they kicked me hard. One of their leaders slapped me before they left, threatening that my life will not be easy," he said.
After the group left, he went to his car but could not get it to start, so he left it outside the school and went to the police station to open a case, he then went home.
"I lost my car keys in one of the cars I used to travel to the police station, my father-in-law attempted to push the car into a nearby house but the steering locked. He left the car there.
"I received a call in the morning that my car had burnt overnight," he said.
The Mahindra pick up was burnt from the cab to the engine, the loading bin was the only part that was not burnt.
Fulani said the leaders of the group that attacked him claimed that they have lost money when the branch general meeting was postponed.
"One of them (leaders) is pushing to be elected as a candidate for the national conference.
Fulani said he suffered bruises on his ribs and his right hand was swollen following the attacked.
North West police spokesperson, Colonel Adele Myburgh said a case of assault with the intention to cause grievous bodily harm, and that of malicious damaged was opened at Lethabong police station.
"I can confirm that two cases were opened at the Lethabong police station, the one was opened last night (Monday) for assault with the intention to cause grievous bodily harm by the councillor himself. There is another case that was opened for malicious damaged to property for the vehicle that was torched.
"Apparently the vehicle did not want to start, the vehicle was left at school where the meeting was held, and during the night somebody called the councillor that his car was on fire,“ she said.
IOL