SACP Free State statement on recent developments involving 2nd Deputy Provincial Secretary and Kopanong Municipality Mayor

22 November 2023

The South African Communist Party (SACP) in the Free State Province (FS) is appalled by the arrest of its 2nd Deputy Provincial Secretary, Comrade Mojalefa Simango, together with members of the Community Policing Forum (CPF) upon their arrival at the police station in Kutloanong to hand over suspects apprehended for alleged break-in, theft and possession of stolen goods.

Comrade Mojalefa Simango was alerted of a break-in and theft at his house on Monday, 20 November 2023, whilst attending to his political deployment. Upon arrival, Comrade Simango worked with local CPF members and followed immediate leads and successfully tracked the suspects as well as the stolen electronic devices and goods. Several other stolen items from the community were also found with the suspects. Consequently, the CPF members took the suspects along with the stolen goods to the Kutloanong Police Station to hand them over to the police whilst Comrade Simango was busy opening a case in Welkom.

To their surprise, the CPF members were arrested. Comrade Simango was also arrested by the police when he joined CPF members in Kutloanong and both were senselessly charged with kidnapping of the suspects they had brought to the police.

Rather than appreciating collaborative efforts by the community, the police inflicted double jeopardy on the victims through this unwarranted arrest. This will, on the one hand, embolden criminals and dampen the morale of CPF members on the eve of a festive season when house breaking, theft and other crimes are known to be on the rise. On the other hand, the arrest of Comrade Simango further exposes his family to even greater risks and emotional trauma since his house remained exposed by the break-in and his children left unattended to whilst their father unduly spent the night in jail.

As the SACP in the province, we condemn the reckless conduct of the responsible police officers at Kutloanong Police Station and call on the station leadership, Provincial Commissioner and IPID to attend to this ill-treatment, misconduct and miscarriage of justice by the police officers. Comrade Simango experienced similar repeat break-ins in May, July and August 2023, and working with CPF members were able to recover some of the stolen goods. However, the cases opened with police remain unresolved despite suspects being known and reported to the police.

As the Party, we call for the immediate unconditional release of the 2nd DPS and all members of the CPF. We salute Comrade Simango for opting not to pursue individual release but choosing to remain in jail and fight for the release of all members of the CPF. As the Party, we have directed our structures in Tisha Vanga District to support Comrade Simango and CPF members when they appear in court today, after undeservedly spending the night in jail. Our structures are further directed not to tire and continue to work with the police and community structures, in selflessly pursuing overall interests of the communities.

Unfortunate altercation between Kopanong Mayor and a community member

The SACP in the province has learned of statements made by ANC Secretary General (SG) Comrade Fikile Mbalula directing immediate recall of Comrade Xolani Tseletsele as Mayor of Kopanong Municipality and immediate suspension of his ANC membership, following a verbal altercation with a member of the community.

Whilst the SACP respects the ANC’s right to undertake its internal processes, the SACP in the province respectfully disagrees with the passing of judgment and sanction without a hearing that must solicit and process full facts and developments on the matter.

The SACP in no way condones the altercation. However, in the interest of fairness and consistency, we urge that the matter be handled through an organisational process with restraint, based on facts and truths and with an intention to be corrective rather than punitive. As the Party, we are of the view that an immediate recall and suspension of membership as a first reaction and without first granting a hearing is rather grossly harsh, pre-emptive and conditions the outcome of a hearing. We understand that Comrade Tseletsele has since voluntarily returned to the community member and, based on the facts around the verbal altercation, both have apologised to each other, and he went further to apologise openly for his actions.

Comrade Tseletsele is one of the young deployees of the movement, and should be properly nurtured, nudged and guided to discharge his responsibilities and serve the community with humility and supported to turn around Kopanong Municipality which was systematically collapsed by state capture linked parasitic patronage networks that operated in the province. As the Party, we will request audience with the ANC leadership to offer targeted corrective measures and also process more emerging societal and political issues of importance aimed at improving the reconnection of the movement with the mass-base and enhancing the unity and renewal of the movement in the province, especially in the run-up to the national and provincial elections.

Issued by Bhekie Stofile, SACP Free State Provincial Secretary, 22 November 2023