MEMBERS of the African Congress for Transformation (ACT) were caught on camera assaulting a man for allegedly refusing to wear the party T-shirt on Saturday afternoon, 20 January 2024, in Virginia, Free State.
Ndade Moletsane (44), a mine worker from Virginia, Meloding, told Daily Sun that he was attacked by ACT party leader Ace Magashule, his bodyguards and party members on Saturday as he sat in front of a shisanyama.
According to Moletsane, he claimed that ACT party members were on their campaign trip in the township and when they passed him, they allegedly threw him a party T-shirt but he was not interested in the T-shirt and threw it back.
"Unfortunately, the T-shirt landed right in the face of the party leader, who got very angry and attacked me. The other guard already had a gun in his hand, and they started attacking him.
"While his bodyguards and party members were beating me up, saying I should have taken the T-shirt instead of being disrespectful to them. I was rescued by the shisanyama owner and other community members. I'm not interested in politics. I don't love it and I'll never be interested in politics. I hate politics!
"Before I threw the T-shirt away, I told them I didn't want it and they ignored it. I was beaten up badly even when I apologised for rejecting the T-shirt, but the members did not want to hear my apology and continued their kicking," Ndade said.
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He claimed that he's now afraid to walk in the streets as his younger brother was allegedly killed at the same spot years ago and it was no surprise that the party leader attacked him like that.
ACT convener Alexes Mare told
Daily Sun that they have responded to the attack but now that the matter is in the hands of the police, they'll await the outcome of the court.
Police spokesman Captain Stephen Thakeng confirmed that a well-known politician and his entourage were distributing T-shirts of their organisation on January 20 at about 7.30pm on Thabiso Makoko Street next to a well-known business house when one of the shirts landed on the victim.
Thakeng said a 44-year-old Meloding man threw a T-shirt back to them in the car, then it covered the well-known politician's face.
"The politician's bodyguards allegedly attacked the complainant and injured his face. The police have registered a case of assault for further investigation and the issue of firearm is also under investigation," he said.
