Zamani Saul: ‘Who would target a 40% party’s deputy president?’

Northern Cape ANC Chairperson Zamani Saul has cautioned that the alleged shooting of Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s convoy could inflame internal party divisions as the ANC approaches its 2027 elective conference.

According to SABC News, Saul addressed delegates at the ANC provincial conference in Kimberley, expressing disbelief over the motive behind the attack. “Who can in his right mind go out and want to kill the Deputy President of the ANC for a 40% party?” he asked. “Deputy Presidents were not killed when we were having 70%, and we come to believe those things because of the level of divisions within our ranks.”

His remarks were made prior to the official police confirmation of the incident.

Police confirm shooting, increase security for top officials

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has since verified the incident, with National Commissioner General Fannie Masemola stating that protection for both President Cyril Ramaphosa and Deputy President Mashatile has been increased.

According to SAPS spokesperson Athlenda Mathe, bullets hit Mashatile’s official vehicle three times while he was returning from an ANC NEC meeting in Boksburg. The shooting occurred on the N12 highway but remained undisclosed to the public for almost three weeks.

“While it is not common practice to discuss safety and security aspects of the executive, the National Commissioner deems it fit to assure the country that sufficient resources are always assigned to safeguard members of the national executive,” said Mathe. She added that a full investigation is underway and the ballistics report has already been completed.

Mashatile downplays incident, urges focus on national work

Deputy President Mashatile has played down the shooting, saying he initially thought stones had struck his vehicle. Speaking during a visit to the KwaSizabantu Mission in KwaZulu-Natal, he confirmed the incident is under investigation but called for calm.

According to IOL, Mashatile said, “Let’s focus on work,” declining to speculate on who may have been behind the shooting.

He further explained, “As I was driving from the NEC, my car was hit by what I thought were stones. When we got home, the protectors said the impact was too much and wanted to take it for checking. You know a bulletproof windscreen is too strong to be damaged.”

‘Quite strong to be damaged’

According to The Citizen, Mashatile expressed confidence in his safety, saying, “The bulletproof windscreen is quite strong to be damaged.” He added, “I’m properly protected so [there’s] nothing to worry about.”

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Sourced:African Insider

Picture: Inside Politics