ANC provincial secretary in the North West Kabelo Mataboge escaped an assassination attempt in the early hours this morning outside his home in Mahikeng.

Mataboge returned to his house around 4am after an audit was done on the ANC branches that will attend today’s nomination conference in the North West.

Unknown gunmen shot at Mataboge four times, according to his close comrade, David Kham, while Mataboge was opening the gate at his house.

“He managed to run away so they couldn’t kill him,” Kham told City Press.

The gunmen then sped away. No arrests have been made.

Kham told City Press he and Mataboge were told by the police to leave Mahikeng because there were signs that they were being targeted.
“Since last week we’ve noticed that we were being followed and the police told us to leave Mahikeng because these guys were coming for us.”

Provincial chairperson Supra Mahumpelo is hosting a separate nomination conference in Hartebeespoortdam today, a gathering that Kham claims to be illegitimate.

“Their branches did not submit their envelopes to the election commission that is running the election … it’s a whole desperation going on.”

The conference in Hartbeespoort is the NEC-sanctioned conference, reports Carien du Plessis.

Mahumpelo is known to support president Jacob Zuma while Mataboge wants deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe to take over as ANC president at the Mangaung conference.

Recently the Tlokwe municipal council elected a DA mayor despite the ANC majority in the council because of severe infighting between the two camps.

Mahumpelo could not be immediately reached for comment.

– City Press