GEORGE NEWS - Although it was firmly believed by resi-dents and DA management alike that it was one of their supporters who was stabbed to death on his way to the DA meeting, Southern Cape police spokesperson Malcolm Pojie says they have no reason to believe that the murder was politically motivated.
Zanuise Arosi (50) was hacked with a pick in his head during an argument with his girlfriend, Charlotte Gertse’s ex-boyfriend, Michael Gansho (39). He died outside his home in Zone 8.

ANC bullies?
Since the opening of the DA’s first branch in Thembalethu (Zone 9) three weeks ago, several incidents of intimidation by ANC councillors and activists have been reported.

The latest incident took place on Saturday morning when 10 activists, together with ANC councillors Fanele Guga, Mervyn Olivier and Castro Leholo allegedly barged in on a meeting.
"Councillor Guga actually came to the front and told councillor Daniël Maritz (the speaker of George) to leave, as we are in his area," says Tertius Simmers, DA constituency operations manager.

According to Simmers, the reaction of the more than 100 supporters forced Guga to sit down.
Asked for comment, Guga explains that he was not aware that it was a DA meeting. He claims that area committee members had called him about a meeting regarding service delivery in informal settlements. "I only discovered that it was a DA meeting once I got there. Anyone can have a meeting anywhere, but it is not fair to lie to people. A lot of the people did not know that it was a DA meeting."

Guga is also disgruntled by the fact that the DA is seemingly only interested in the area just before an election. "Where are they when the shacks burn down?" he wants to know.
Guga says he condemns the use of any form of intimidation as a political stra-tegy.

Trouble brooding
In his comment to the George Herald, Maritz predicts a lot of trouble within the community before the local elections, since it appears to him that the ANC is trying their best to stop the DA from holding meetings in Thembalethu.

Maritz further expresses his disappointment with ANC councillor Charlie Wil-liams, who is fond of throwing idle threats at the DA during council meetings, such as, "the beaters will get you out there!".
According to Maritz and Simmers, councillor Williams caused quite a stir during the opening of their branch when he gate-crashed the meeting, pointed fingers at individuals and demanded to know what they were doing at a DA meeting.
William denies this strongly: "People like to start political wars. No one was intimidated.

"I was driving around in the area, announcing a community meeting for the next day, when I saw the gathering. I got out of my car, looked at the people, and walked out."
Williams says that the DA holds no threat to the ANC in Thembalethu and has no impact on the people.
Meanwhile, Maritz confirms his intention to lodge a complaint against Williams, who he believes is "raping the constitution by restricting people’s movement".

"I have the right to speak to the people of Thembalethu. No one will stop me from my task to inform people about service delivery. I am protected by the constitution," says Maritz.
The DA plans to open three more branches before their offices close on 15 December. They have more than 500 regis-tered members in Thembalethu.

In a separate incident Tertius Simmers had damage done to his car to the value of R20 000 when two vehicles tried to force him off the road on his way home from a DA meeting in Knysna. He believes it was politically motivated.


Before the meeting on Saturday at the Western Cape education department’s offices in Thembalethu, from the left, Ephesian Mtabati (DA councillor of Eden municipality) and Godfrey Xantini (treasurer of the DA branch in Zone 9), with Tertius Simmers (far right) and several supporters.

ARTICLE AND PHOTOS: MICHELLE PIENAAR