The Daily News understands that at least two people in the disbanded leadership were viewed as “traitors”.
On Sunday, a special general assembly dissolved the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Council, and a congress will be called within 30 days to elect a new leadership.
An interim committee comprising Abahlali president S’bu Zikode, Mqapheli Bonono, Thapelo Mohapi, Zanele Mtshali and Nomnikelo Sigenu was formed.
Zikode has been in hiding since July, after alleged threats on his life. He was present at the meeting, guarded by his “comrades”.
“People with important positions in our movement began to try and drive an agenda in support of the ANC. They attempted to use that authority to prevent people from making public criticisms of the ANC and eThekwini mayor. This was done in a highly public way at our annual UnFreedom Day rally recently. These people went so far as to insist that our movement must attend the ANC’s launch of its manifesto for the 2019 elections,” Mohapi said.
He added that the officials saw this as a way to translate the movement’s growing membership, now more than 55000 people, into personal wealth.
“Our members were clear that our movement exists to struggle for land and dignity, and is not a vehicle for making business deals with our oppressors. The attempt on Zikode’s life, and the threats that followed, were made because he was seen as the main obstacle to the attempt by the ANC to capture our movement,” Mohapi said.
He said the movement was not planning to work with any political party and had not discussed its position on next year’s general election.
Muziwakhe Mdlalose, the deputy president of the disbanded leadership, said he believed the disbandment was intended to remove him and Thinabantu Khanyile, the movement’s administrator.
“They made all these allegations against us, and I was their main target. We ended up leaving the meeting for fear that the situation could get ugly. We were accused of supporting former president Jacob Zuma and supporting Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma before the election won by President Cyril Ramaphosa,” Mdlalose said yesterday.
He denied they were “selling” the movement to the ANC, adding that they were seeking advice from senior independent individuals, including retired politicians and those in the legal fraternity.
Attempts to get comment from Khanyile were unsuccessful.
Political analyst Lukhona Mnguni said the tension between Abahlali and the ANC was “historical”.
“This goes back to where certain political leaders were alleged to have incited violence among Abahlali. The movement exists as a pressure group that seeks better living conditions for shack dwellers. From time to time they would have wanted to support a party that they thought would advance the needs of their members,” he said.
ANC provincial spokesperson Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu said it should not be an issue that there were ANC members within Abahlali.
“They are a civil movement of the community fighting for a particular issue, so members can affiliate to any political party,” she said.