ANCYL Denies Poo Protest Outside Gordhan Speech Venue Was About Him

The youth league says it was actually protesting against the building of a mall.
Former finance minister Pravin Gordhan reacts during an SA Communist Party rally in Durban, South Africa, April 22, 2017.
Former finance minister Pravin Gordhan reacts during an SA Communist Party rally in Durban, South Africa, April 22, 2017.
Rogan Ward / Reuters

The dumping of faeces at a function attended by former finance minister Pravin Gordhan has been condemned by the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) in KwaDukuza, News24 reported. The ANCYL reportedly said the protest was not aimed at Gordhan.

The Mercury reported that a two men dumped faeces at the entrance to the Siba Sungum hall where Gordhan was scheduled to speak at a Concerned Citizens Group fundraiser. He was invited by the Concerned Citizens group. The men were allegedly from the ANCYL.

The secretary of an ANCYL branch in KwaDukuza, Lucky Mbokazi, said this was a protest against business people who are blocking the building of a mall, and that it was not aimed at Gordhan.

Moosa Motala of the Group told The Mercury that it was too soon to apportion blame to the incident but said it was "possible" that it was politically motivated.

"Given that we have Mr Gordhan here it is possible that there are political connotations to this act of sabotage. We have made arrangements for security," he reportedly said.

Gordhan said he was a small part of the event and hoped there wouldn't be any more disturbances.

Musa Zondi, secretary for the ANCYL in the area, told News24 that he didn't know anything about it.

In April, Business Day reported that the ANCYL in that province had promised to "squeeze out" Gordhan for his criticism of the ANC. Protesters disrupted a speech delivered by Gordhan in Pietermaritzburg in August.

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