A heated altercation between two ANC councillors during a branch meeting in Valdezia has sparked calls for stronger internal discipline and a renewed focus on unity within the ruling party.
The incident occurred on Saturday, 5 April, during an ANC Ward 31 meeting. Councillor Jeanet Matumba, who was officially deployed by the Vhembe regional office to observe the proceedings, was reportedly denied entry by Cllr Sipho Masuka, who chaired the meeting. A confrontation followed, during which Matumba alleges she was physically pushed and had her cell phone taken. She subsequently opened a case of assault against Masuka.
In a trending video, Masuka can be heard saying he does not want Matumba at the meeting because she insulted him at the municipality's office. "You have come here to disturb our branch. You were insulting me in council. You have come for your function," he said. He added that he also does not want Makhado Municipality's Speaker and Chief Whip to attend the meeting.
Masuka was later arrested and released without bail. His court appearance, initially scheduled for 8 April, has been postponed to 20 May. In response, he has laid a counter-charge of crimen injuria against Matumba. Matumba was scheduled to appear in court on this charge on Wednesday.
The spokesperson for the ANC's Vhembe region, Gumani Mukwevho, confirmed Matumba's deployment and condemned the alleged assault. "The region stands strong against gender-based violence. What Cde Masuka did – pushing a comrade, a woman – is completely unacceptable," Mukwevho said, adding that the party held evidence of Matumba's official deployment.
Mukwevho also revealed that the ANC has launched an internal investigation and that disciplinary action is likely to follow. "We will communicate the findings in due course," he said. "The regional secretary had previously issued a letter urging members to refrain from unruly behaviour during meetings."
Although Mukwevho denied widespread tension among councillors, he admitted that team-building measures are needed. "We believe the office of the Chief Whip should step in to strengthen unity among ANC councillors," he added.