Factional battles played out dramatically on Wednesday night at the funeral of slain former ANC Youth League (ANCYL) secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa, Times Live reports.
At the funeral service, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa's supporters got into physical altercations with supporters of Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, forcing the military personnel in attendance to shut the event down.
Reports state that tensions began when ANCYL secretary-general Njabulo Nzuza's tribute to Magaqa was interrupted by ANCYL members in the audience who broke into song, waving three fingers in the air -- signalling a third term for the Zuma surname.
Watch the Times Live video of the event:
Senior ANC member Sizakele Nkosi Malobane asked the disruptors to respect Magaqa's wife who was in attendance‚ but ANCYL members continued singing and dancing until Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans' Association soldiers were forced to remove them, The Citizen reports.
The ANCYL on Monday, meanwhile, called on its members to be disciplined at the funeral service, News24 reported.
"There will not be any fights. We call for maximum discipline from all those that will be attending the funeral," ANCYL secretary general Njabulo Nzuza said.
Magaqa, formerly part of the ANCYL's top six alongside Julius Malema before his suspension in 2012, died last week at age 35 after succumbing to injuries sustained in a suspected ambush in July. He and two other ANC councillors were reportedly shot in Mzimkhulu, south of Durban.