The DA in KwaZulu-Natal has opened a case of incitement against eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede after a party member and activist was allegedly assaulted by members of the ANC Youth League.

The alleged assault on Bob Lemon happened on KE Masinga Road near the Durban Jewish Hall following the DA-led People’s March for Change on Friday.

KZN DA leader Zwakele Mncwango and the provincial chair Haniff Hoosen accompanied Lemon to the Durban Central police station on Saturday morning to open a charge of assault against ANCYL and its provincial secretary‚ Thanduxolo Sabelo.

“Basically two cases were opened. Mr Lemon… opened a case of assault. The DA opened a case of incitement against Zandile Gumede because we believe that the mayor did incite this kind of violence‚” said Mncwango.

Mncwango said statements attributed to Gumede on Thursday — including that marching against President Jacob Zuma was akin to an act of treason and that those who did so would be arrested and charged with treason – were what had compelled them to act.

“She said there will be consequences [for whoever is marching] and we believe what we saw yesterday was those kind of consequences. We also heard Thanduxolo saying they did what they did because they were protecting Jacob Zuma. Thanduxolo and the mayor must account‚” he said.

However‚ Gumede’s spokesman Mthunzi Gumede came out guns blazing‚ accusing the DA of staging a publicity stunt.

“We note the case lodged by the DA and we view it as a publicity stunt because it only comes after they failed to mobilise numbers. What they are basically doing is to try shift blame for their failure to mobilise a successful march. Unfortunately‚ people stayed at home and nobody joined their march‚” he said.

Mthunzi said the opposition party now needed to find an excuse why their march had failed.

“The quickest excuse is the mayor of eThekwini. That’s a political stunt‚” he said.

ANCYL spokesman Mandla Shange also dismissed the DA claim.

“The leadership of the ANC youth league is not aware of the assault. In fact the leadership yesterday did a lot to defuse elements of violence. But we will defend this action‚” he said.

-TMG Digital