ANCYL STATEMENT ON THE SENTENCING OF ITS FORMER DEPUTY PRESIDENT CDE ANDILE LUNGISA
Thursday 11 May 2018
The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) notes the two year direct imprisonment meter against its former Deputy President and Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality (NMBMM) PR Councillor Cde Andile Lungisa.
Cde Lungisa was sentenced into a effective two year imprisonment by Port Elizabeth Magistrate Court for assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm. Cde Lungisa’s sentencing is a result of his alleged throwing or smashing a glass jug over the head of former member of the mayoral committee Rano Kayser, during a Nelson Mandela Bay council meeting in October 2016. In this matter Cde Lungisa pleaded not guilty to charge.
Whilst the ANCYL respects the independence of the judiciary and rule of law. We firmly believe that sentence by Magistrate Morne Cannon was too harsh and “stinks” of racism.
It is a well known fact that Cde Lungisa has been an irritation to the DA-led administration in NM Bay Metro, and a number of underhand tactics or dirty tricks have been manufactured by the leading White racist elites, mostly sympathetic to the DA, working working hand-in-hand with various dark forces located in powerful positions, to muzzle and silence Cde Lungisa, as a critical voice of the urban poor and homeless people of the Metro.
The harsh sentence raises not only suspicions, but reinforces our beliefs that the repressive organs of the State, especially the judiciary in his case, to meddle in power politics by different formations over total control of the Metro.
The ANCYL NWC will study the merits and demerits of the judgement in order to solicit a proper response, and best form of solidarity and support it can offer Cde Lungisa.
The Youth League, working closely with other component of the Progressive Youth Alliance (PYA) will continue to work tirelessly to win back the Metro from the DA-led unholy coalition. The DA-led administration has spectacularly demonstrated that it is a party that does not advance the interest of the poor in the Metro, but serves the interests of it members and supporters in opulent and segregated surbubs of the Metro.
It has fully demonstrated that its main agenda or role is to reproduce the old Apartheid spatial living patterns and racialised development. This has led to the Metro to be amongst the leading “racially and class” divided Metro, after Cape Town, where the DA also governs.
Statement issued by Mlondi Mkhize, ANCYL national spokesperson, 11 May 2018
