Johannesburg – Chilling details of how a Mpumalanga ANC leader was horribly killed by his bloodthirsty comrades after a factional altercation at a branch meeting have emerged in the R85-million lawsuit his family fled against the governing party in the Joburg High Court last week.
Prince Manzini of Thembelihle Trust, a village next to Themba Hospital and Mpumalanga Nursing College, was killed by members of a rival clique during an ANC branch general meeting in Mbombela on March 15 this year.
The meeting was convened to elect delegates to the party’s provincial elective conference, which would see Mandla Ndlovu challenging the province’s Premier Refilwe Mtsweni- Tsipane.
Describing how Manzini was killed, family lawyer Eric Mabuza said in court papers that Manzini was hit several times with chairs, kicked and punched several times in front of the organisation’s hapless senior leaders deployed to oversee the smooth running of the meeting.
He said Manzini, a former branch secretary of ward 32 in Gutshwa, was attending the meeting at about 9am when he was savagely attacked until he took his last breath.
“The deceased was kicked numerous times inside and outside the hall,” read the papers. As if that was not enough, Mabuza also said that Manzini was carried and pushed out of the hall towards the gate where he was again assaulted with fists, open hands, kicked and bludgeoned with broken chairs.
“All the above conduct happened in full view of the senior leadership delegated by the defendant to preside over the meeting,” read the papers.
He said as a result of the senior leaders’ failure to rescue Manzini, he had sustained injuries to his brain and other organs, and died three hours later. He said the suspects were arrested and appeared at the Kabokweni magistrate’s court.
As a result of his death, Manzini’s widow Millot Slindili Hlatshwayo, 16-year-old daughter and his stepson Surprise Benjamin Hlatshwayo suffered emotional shock, trauma, grief and loss of support.
Chairs were used … on the deceased and some were broken
He said they were demanding R10-million each from the ANC for emotional shock, trauma and grief, and R100 000 for funeral costs.
His wife is also demanding R10-million for damages and loss of support, R20-million for their 16-year-old daughter and another R20-million for their 10-year-old child, while his stepson demands R5-million.
The family wants the ANC to erect Manzini’s memorial, life-size statue, a short biography and a quotation of section 11 and 12 of the constitution in front of the party’s headquarters in Mpumalanga.
ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe did not respond to written questions.
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