South African National Civic Organisation-SANCO National

02/09/2023

South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) on Saturday described the launch of African Congress for Transformation (ACT) by Ace Magashule as a defining moment that will contribute significantly towards a decisive African National Congress (ANC) victory in the 2024 elections.

The civic organization maintained that ACT will not be a threat to the ANC but a boost that the revolutionary alliance needed to consolidate its support base and attract new voters.

"Despite all the reasons that might be advanced by those accused of fraud and corruption, this new development will advance the ANC’s renewal programme and distance the revolutionary alliance from individuals fingered in serious allegations of fraud and corruption dismissed from the party," remarked SANCO National Interim Committee(NIC) National Coordinator, Paul Sebegoe.

Sebegoe said that to the electorate it sends an unequivocal message that says, the corrupt are no longer comfortable and welcomed within ANC.

“A zero tolerance to corruption stance is a precursor to good governance and if the ANC continues along this trajectory, it will restore public confidence in public institutions eroded during the state capture era,” he stressed.

If there are no ideological and policy differences, South Africans will find it difficult to be wowed by political parties fashioned along the lines of personality cults, he pointed out.

“Contrary to what Magashule wants our communities to believe that the achievements of the Free State Provincial Government while he was at the helm were his personal achievements, our people know that there was no Ace Manifesto that they had voted for. Whilst he can’t take away the achievements of the ANC to his new party, the court of law is the appropriate platform for him to be held accountable for his alleged misdemeanors related to the Asbestos roof project and Vrede Dairy Farm,” he underscored.

Sebegoe said that the former ANC Secretary General still has a mountain to climb proving his innocence in court before anyone can take him and his ACT dream seriously.

01/09/2023

South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) on Friday called for an in-depth probe into the Johannesburg fire disaster which it described as South Africa’s worst disaster and yet another worrying incident. The civic organization conveyed condolences to families of the 75 people who lost their loved ones in the tragic incident and called for a national day of mourning.

"This tragedy which occurred a few months after a gas explosion ripped the inner city calls for the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) including the whole of government to review its disaster management policies and conduct a risk assessment to identify potential threats to prevent loss of lives and infrastructure," highlighted SANCO National Interim Committee(NIC) National Coordinator, Paul Sebegoe.

Sebegoe mentioned that abondoned and hijacked buildings in cities pose a security threat.

“Not only are they being used by the desperate and homeless, some are drug dens and crime havens for human trafficking as well as other violent crimes. They also pose a greater security threat that must be neutralized before it is exploited by other sinister forces,” he maintained.

He called for implementation of Crime Prevention through environment design(CPTED) community mobilisation programmes that will ensure that disused buildings in communities used as hideouts by criminals are demolished.

“We cannot afford to ignore these and hope for safer communities. Our metros must deploy special units, closed circuit television cameras, drones as well as advanced technology and work with police to disrupt the hostile activities of property mafias operating in our inner cities including neighborhoods,” underscored Sebegoe.

29/08/2023

South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) on Tuesday described the deaths of five children that burnt beyond recognition in a shack fire in Itireleng Informal Settlement near Laudium as a tragic and harrowing incident.

SANCO National Interim Committee(NIC) National Convenor, Paul Sebegoe said;"We are deeply saddened by the heart wrenching losses and wish to convey our condolences to the families as well as the entire Itireleng informal settlement community that is in mourning. The children that lost their precious lives in the fiery fire did not deserve to die such frightful and painful deaths."

Sebegoe commended residents that had assisted the firefighters to extinguish the blazing fire as well as assist others vacate their shacks that were ablaze.

He expressed hope that the negligent mothers said to be sisters who allegedly left the children inside the shack and went to a tavern will face the wrath of the law.

"We call on our communities to report parents who, like these mothers, are leaving children on their own and putting their lives at risk," he said.

Sebegoe pointed out that neglected children should be speedily removed from the custody of negligent parents before similar tragedies are experienced.

He called on the City of Tshwane and other municipalities to accelerate the informal eradication programme to restore the dignity of the homeless who live in unsafe as well as unhealthy conditions.

29/08/2023

The South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) on Sunday condemned the ruthless killing of an African National Congress (ANC) ward councillor Mabhungu Mkhize of Ward 41 in Msunduzi Local Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal. The civic organisation commended police for the swift arrest of two alleged assassins who were reportedly found in possession of guns and the getaway car.

The killing of Mkhize comes a few days after an attempt on the life of another ANC councillor Mphathisene Manqele of Nongoma local municipality. According to authorities, police received a call about a shooting incident in Imbali and when they arrived they found the bullet ridden vehicle used by Mkhize.The deceased and his passenger were allegedly approached by two suspects who opened fire on them.They crushed into a nearby house when they tried to drive away.The councillor was taken to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

"The ruthless political killings, senseless violence and heinous crimes committed against elected public representatives undermine the notion of representative governance critical for delivery of services to our communities.We wish to convey our deepest condolences to the Mkhize family that lost their loved one in the atrocious attack, " highlighted SANCO National Interim Committee (NIC) National Convenor, Dan Bolman.

Bolman wished the injured passenger that managed to escape from the vicious attack a speedy recovery.

"We call on our communities to protect their councillors against opportunistic political thuggery and senseless violence, "he said.

He urged police to speedily get to the bottom of the spate of killings and establish whether there is a third force rekindling political rivalry and intraparty conflicts in order to destabilise and throw our communities into violent conflict.

Bolman said that local government is supposed to be about improving service delivery and serving communities and not an area of contestation for personal and accumulation of material benefit.

He emphasised that the impression being created that election for the position of councillor is prestigious to the extent that those who do not make the cut devise means to eliminate those elected is worrisome as it accounts for unnecessary tensions and conflicts.

Earlier this month another NFP councillor Ntombenhle Mchunu of Nongoma was shot and killed at her house.

26/08/2023

The South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) on Friday expressed shock after a 49-year-old Rustenburg businessman, Ben Gumbi was gunned down in a hail of bullets by two assailants. The incident was captured on CCTV footage that is doing rounds on social media.

"We wish to condemn in the strongest terms possible the callous murder and convey our condolences to the Gumbi family, relatives and friends. We urge police not to leave any stone unturned until those responsible for his atrocious death are behind bars," commented SANCO National Interim Committee (NIC) Convenor, Dan Bolman.

According to police, the businessman had just arrived in the Rustenburg Central Business District (CBD) on Wednesday morning when the suspects shot him several times, then fled the scene in a blue Volkswagen Polo vehicle which was later found abandoned at the corner of Helen Joseph and Lourie streets.

Bolman appealed for calm and called on communities to come forward with information that might assist police in their investigation.

He urged members of the public to desist from circulating misleading as well as unverified reports of arrests as police have disputed them as fake news.

He said that this not only irresponsible but also insensitive to the family that is mourning the death of their loved one.

“Our communities will not be safe as long as the heartless criminals that carried out the brazen hit in broad daylight are still roaming our streets and neighbourhoods. They should be brought to account for their heartrending act. No hole should be big enough for them to crawl into and hide from the long arm of the law,” emphasised Bolman.

He called for extraordinary measures to combat escalating violent crime in communities.

23/08/2023

Congratulations to partner on the historic milestone

The unmanned Chandrayaan-3, which means "Mooncraft" in Sanskrit, touched down at 6.04 pm India time (2.34 SAST) as mission control technicians cheered wildly and embraced their colleagues.
Read more here: https://bit.ly/3Eac62Y

23/08/2023

22/08/2023

The South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) on Monday condemned the gruesome murder of Busisiwe Ngubo from Ehlanzeni area in Ixopo, KwaZulu-Natal.

The 35-year-old woman was reportedly on her way to give birth to triplets when she was allegedly strangled by her 46-year-old boyfriend, who happened to be a policeman. The civic organization described the ghastly act that has shocked the nation as the worst betrayal.

Ngubo was due to give birth to triplets last Tuesday, the day after her body was found.

“While we welcome the swift arrest, the ghastly and deplorable murder of four innocent souls allegedly at the hands of a policeman shows the extent to which women are brutalized at the hands of those who are supposed to love them and protect them,” highlighted SANCO National Interim Committee (NIC) National Coordinator, Paul Sebegoe.

Sebegoe mentioned that when such horrendous acts are committed by police officers, it significantly erodes public confidence in those who are supposed to lead the fight against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF).

“The insistent war against our women who are the most vulnerable in society calls for united action as well as concerted collaborative effort against the scourge of GBVF.It is a pandemic that must be defeated if women are to reclaim their streets, neigbourhoods and communities,” he stressed.

He urged men who are experiencing pressure in their personal relationships to urgently seek professional help instead of taking matters into their own hands.

Sebegoe called for no bail and the immediate suspension of the arrested suspect at whose home.a stash of dagga was also found after his arrest.

“There should be place in the South African Police Service (SAPS) for such heartless monsters capable of committing such heinous crimes. Real Men do not abuse or hurt women. They protect them,” he emphasised.

He mentioned that the discovery of bodies of two elderly women found in a shallow grave near a creche in Umgababa after a two weeks search points to the urgency and dire situation women who are the most vulnerable find themselves in.

“The arrest of the security guard employed at the creche suggests another betrayal by those that the elderly women had put their trust in,” he underscored.

Sebegoe said that much more needs to be done to protect women who are the most vulnerable in society.

“Street patrollers should be revived to work closely with community policing forums and our police to eradicate the scourge of GBVF that is terrorising our communities,” he added.

20/08/2023

The South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) on Sunday distanced itself from the recently formed Multi Party Charter SA describing it as a reactionary formation aimed at masking the dismal failure of weak opposition parties ahead of the 2024 elections.

SANCO National Interim Committee (NIC) National Coordinator, Paul Sebegoe said that there is no civil society organization worth its salt that can be associated with the Multi Party formation.

“The moon-shot pact is a pipe dream of political parties that do not have alternative policies that they can canvas to the electorate except for their shared fear of losing to the ruling ANC in the forthcoming elections. They have in the process exposed their desperate strategy aimed at avoiding accountability as the agreement does not relate to party manifestos nor reflect their ideological differences,” remarked Sebegoe.

He mentioned that Herman Mashaba’s Action SA is a splinter party from the Democratic Alliance (DA) over its alleged racist policies.

“We are now made to believe that fundamental issues that led to the exodus of the historically marginalised black, coloured and Indian members of the DA no longer matter. This to us suggests that Action SA was conceived in the DA as a strategy to attract black voters hence its ability to regroup with anti-transformation formations such as the DA and the Freedom Front Plus,” he stressed.

Sebegoe suggested that Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) on the other hand will not survive without its retired 95-year-old leader Prince Mangosotho Buthelezi as its new leader Velenkosini Hlabisa is like John Steenhuisen weak and without vision

“Coalitions have failed to deliver meaningful change and service delivery for our communities at municipality level. They are therefore not an option that voters should endorse at national and provincial governments as they will destabilise governance,” he pointed out.

He vowed that the SANCO unity project which is gaining momentum will flush out controversial opportunists as well as controversial characters associated with the Independent SANCO (ISANCO) from its ranks.

“Divisive anarchists like Zukile Luyenge and Bakoena Ramosie associated with the ISANCO will not use our communities to pursue their narrow political ambitions or infiltrate the revolutionary alliance,” underscored Sebegoe.

18/08/2023

The South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) on Friday dismissed Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema’s vitriolic attack on President Cyril Ramaphosa ahead of the BRICS Summit to be hosted by South Africa as pathetic, vile as well as unpatriotic by a peacetime hero and a phantom Gucci revolutionary.

” Malema has no appreciation of the responsibilities that a sitting head of state has to contend with as well as the volatility of markets that are largely influenced by geopolitics. His desperate theatrics and reckless criticism of South Africa for hosting the summit in the absence of Russian President Vladimir Putin have exposed him as a populist that has no idea of South Africa’s foreign policy including how international diplomacy works,” remarked SANCO National Interim Committee (NIC) National Coordinator, Paul Sebegoe.

Sebegoe said that by calling on the President of China Xi Jinping and India’s Prime Minister Narendra to boycott the BRICS Summit, Malema was acting against South Africa’s best interests.

“His treacherous call that amounts to nothing but myopic political grandstanding aimed at projecting himself as an influential leader has further exposed him as a demagogue that is oblivious of the diversity of South Africa’s interests which are safeguarded by its cautious and responsible stance to global conflicts,” he said.

He pointed out that Malema is spiteful because the agenda for the summit includes a single currency for BRICS countries as well as other pertinent issues that the EFF is dreaming of championing to profile itself as a continental and international player and by implication, a party that is ready to govern South Africa.

“What is undeniable is that President Rampahosa is not spineless but a visionary internationalist, a skilled negotiator that has managed to reposition South Africa as a leading continental, global player, a peace broker and an investment destination that will contribute to job creation and economic recovery,” stressed Sebegoe.

He maintained that South African cannot afford to miss the opportunities that the expansion of BRICS will usher.

17/08/2023

The South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) on Wednesday said that delayed justice and political opportunism has deferred reconciliation and healing necessary for families that lost their loved ones during the Marikana Massacre to find closure and move on.

SANCO National Interim Committee (NIC) National Coordinator, Paul Sebegoe maintained that exploiting the massacre for political expedience has compromised and delayed the healing process.

” The Marikana Massacre remains a painful blot and repulsive chapter in the history of South Africa’s young democracy. The lessons learnt from the collapse of constructive engagements that led to violent confrontation and what could have been done to avoid it though invaluable were too costly in terms of the lives of the 44 miners who were killed,” he stressed.

Sebegoe mentioned that what is worrying is that the methods of engagement have not changed much since the horrible incident that shocked the world.

“Violence is still considered an option instead of constructive engagement through community dialogues. All assortments of weapons are still being carried during protests which are still characterized by violence and no visible improvement in crowd control and public order policing,” he said.

He urged church leaders and traditional leaders to facilitate dialogue between government, aggrieved families and communities to pave the way towards reconciliation and apolitical annual commemoration services.

“The blame game and hostility must make way for accelerated service delivery as well as sustainable development necessary for peaceful coexistence in the mining community,” underscores Sebegoe.

He added that underdevelopment and squalor dehumanizes people yearning for better living conditions and decent housing.

“Social Labour Plans (SLP’s) must ensure that mining houses as beneficiaries of operations take responsibility for lack of infrastructure, roads and sanitation if the legacy of an extraction economy and exploitation is to be rewritten,” he added.

11/08/2023

The South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) on Friday welcomed the suspension of the Western Cape South African National Transport Council (SANTACO) stay away strike. The civic association described it as a relief and a positive step towards resolving the impasse between City of Cape Town and SANTACO.

National Convenor of SANCO National Interim Committee, Dan Bolman criticized the manner the Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis and Community Safety MMC Jean-Pierre “JP” Smith had handled SANTACO’s grievances.

“Hill-Lewis’s arrogance had shown no regard for commuters that were left stranded throughout the eight-days strike including the resultant impact it had on the local economy, disruption of schooling and its unintended consequences on tourism as well as businesses that were looted and torched by opportunistic criminal elements,” highlighted Bolman.

Bolman pointed out that Hill-Lewis’s referral of SANTACO leaders as the Taxi Mafia during the strike had undermined a sacrosanct principle, i.e. mutual respect which is key to dispute resolution.

He commended National Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga for her resolute stance against impounding of taxis in the Cape Town Metro.

“City of Cape Town and other Democratic Alliance (DA) led municipalities like Tshwane are with impunity using draconian by-laws to impound taxis and other private vehicles for minor traffic violations such as parking offences instead of issuing fines,” he stressed.

Bolman called on Minister Chikunga to act against abuse of the National Land Transport Act.