The SA Communist Party (SACP) says it will lay charges with the police over what it claims was an assassination attempt on its second deputy general secretary Solly Mapaila at an event to commemorate late SACP leader Chris Hani.
The SACP said on Monday a "rogue element" in the audience produced a gun aimed at Mapaila as he was climbing onto the stage to deliver the party's message at the commemoration of the 24th anniversary of the assassination of Chris Hani, former SACP General Secretary who was murdered on 10 April 1993.
"The gunman who was oblivious that there a video recording capturing his action was amongst the mob of a few hooligans who were premeditatedly co-ordinated to boo Mapaila and silence the vice of the Communist Party", said the party in a statement.
"The gunman aborted his mission after what seemed to be an alert to him that he was exposed. In addition Mapaila had an umbrella because of a heavy rainstorm. This caused a distraction when he ascended the stage where he shortly announced that he could no longer deliver the SACP message because of the storm and quickly exited the podium."
The SACP said it will lay charges with the police and will discuss the matter and other information it has gathered with alliance partners starting with the African National Congress (ANC).
"Those who planned to disrupt the commemoration by silencing the voice of the Communist Party and pursuing intent to spill blood on Hani's gravesite were clearly inspired by his murderers. The thugs and the elite of political lumpen who co-ordinated them wanted to commit 10 April the second time and force us into a state of déjà vu using the same modus operandi copied from Hani's cold-blooded murderers and pasted on his gravesite."