ANC treasurer general Dr Gwen Ramokgopa has dismissed most assassination claims as 'fake' but confirmed internal and police investigations are under way.
Image: X/MyANC
ANC Treasurer-General Dr Gwen Ramokgopa has rubbished most claims of assassination attempts as baseless, but confirmed the reported shooting involving Deputy President Paul Mashatile is now under formal review by the party’s secretariat.
"Usually when there are these reports (of assassination), many of them are fake, actually," Ramokgopa said on Tuesday, speaking to the media at the ANC Northern Cape elective conference.
"We have seen a lot of fake things. We have referred these matters for the secretariat to deal with organisationally, and indeed, in due course, we will respond to that," she said.
Ramokgopa added that while the ANC would assess the allegations internally, "it is ultimately the responsibility of the relevant agencies of the state" to investigate such incidents.
The alleged shooting, which reportedly happened on March 30, was not made public until Mashatile mentioned it on Sunday during a visit to the KwaSizabantu Mission in Kranskop, KwaZulu-Natal.
Before addressing the Easter service, Mashatile spoke about the incident, explaining that his vehicle was hit by what he initially believed were stones while driving home from the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Boksburg, Gauteng.
"When we got home, the protector said the impact was too much. They wanted to take (the vehicle) for checking because a bulletproof windscreen is too strong to be damaged like that, and that’s why they are doing the investigation," Mashatile said.
His spokesperson, Keith Khoza, confirmed Mashatile was unharmed and said the matter was under investigation by police.
South African Police Service (SAPS) national spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the SAPS would not comment publicly.
"The SAPS does not discuss or comment on the safety and security of the president, deputy president, or cabinet members in the public domain," Mathe said.
Earlier, IOL News reported that Professor Jéan Steyn, a criminal justice expert at the University of Zululand, suggested the timing and secrecy surrounding the alleged shooting could indicate internal political tensions within the ANC.
"The timing of the incident, post-ANC NEC meeting, and its delayed disclosure could intimate internal ANC dynamics or factionalism," Steyn told IOL News on Tuesday.
Mashatile is widely expected to contest for the ANC presidency in 2027.
However, insiders suggest that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and secretary-general Fikile Mbalula are also being discussed as possible contenders.
The silence from Mashatile’s office and the SAPS fuelled speculation on social media, with some users claiming the shooting was staged.
Security strategist Andy Mashaile told IOL News that Mashatile might have been advised by the State Security Agency to withhold public comment immediately after the incident.
"If the incident happened earlier and he spoke about it only recently, it might mean one thing: he was advised not to disclose it to avoid creating panic," Mashaile said.
"You don’t want to create an environment where copycats feel encouraged to target blue-light vehicles," he said.
simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za
IOL Politics
