There is no place for killers in the ANC – Zweli Mkhize
Umzimkhulu - There's no place for killers and criminals in the ANC, the party's treasurer general Zweli Mkhize said on Saturday.
"We can't be losing comrades this way and fingers keep pointing inside the ANC. All must be revealed and we must expose the culprit so we find out what the problem is. We must make sure that we don't lose comrades because of people who are only working for their stomachs," he said.
Mkhize was speaking at the funeral of former ANCYL secretary general, Sindiso Magaqa.
Magaqa died at a Durban hospital last Monday following a shooting on July 13 while coming from an ANC meeting in Umzimkhulu.
He was with two female councillors when they were shot at by unknown assailants at Ibisi area about five minutes from his home.
Many believe that he was assassinated because he wanted to expose corruption at the Umzimkhulu municipality where he was a councillor.
Mkhize lambasted "the scary way" some ANC members are protected these days.
"Even ordinary members who are not mayors or ministers have a heavy security contingent. That makes the situation worse. We must fix that situation so that we end the scourge of political killings," he said.
ANC KZN chair Sihle Zikalala said Magaqa's passing has left the ANC with a great sense of despondency "because it had still expected him to lead the ANC at a higher level".
One of its finest
Zikalala said "no amount of words could explain the void created by Magaqa's departure in the movement".
"The ANC Youth League has lost one of its finest products. The ANC has lost a dedicated and resilient hard working cadre," he said.
Magaqa was part of a generation that defined its mission, said Zikalala.
During Magaqa's tenure as the ANCYL's secretary general, EFF leader Julius Malema was the president.
Malema who visited Magaqa's home last week, did not attend the funeral as expected.
He instead tweeted, "Although our paths separated, our bonds never broke. I'm sorry my friend I won't make it, you deserve a dignified send off. #MagaqaFuneral".
"That generation that said the mission of the current revolutionaries is economic freedom," Zikalala said.
He said the ANC adopted that mission in 2012.
Zikalala said the strategic shift taken by the ANC at the 23rd national congress was largely influenced by the mission taken by the ANCYL when Magaqa was still part of it.
Corruption allegations
"It was influenced by recognition of the need for radical economic transformation to change the lives of the poor," he said.
He was very fond of former ANC president Oliver Tambo, Zikalala said.
"He would sing about Tambo and at all times try to draw lessons from the life and struggle of Tambo."
The ideas of Comrade Magaqa will live on, Zikalala said.
Zikalala said the ANC KZN PEC will on Monday visit Umzimkhulu to investigate corruption allegations that were made by some of the speakers at the service.
Magaqa's friend Less Stuta said Magaqa had showed him documents exposing serious corruption at the Umzimkhulu municipality.
He said some of the documents revealed "serious stealing" where an East London company was paid millions on three different days of one week.
"Tenders in Umzimkhulu revolve around inlaws of some municipal official. Greediness is a problem in the municipality," he said.
ANC presidential hopeful Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, ANCWL president Bathabile Dlamini, finance minister Malusi Gigaba and ANC NEC member Bheki Cele are some of the dignitaries who attended the funeral.
Magaqa, 35, is survived by his four children, his wife and mother.
