Durban community group dares MEC and Premier to release footage of alleged intimidation

File - KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube. Picture: Supplied

File - KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube. Picture: Supplied

Published Feb 15, 2023

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Johannesburg - Umsinsi Wokuzilimela, a Durban community and natives group, has challenged KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube to release video footage of their members storming the Premier's house on Saturday night.

This comes after numerous media reports indicated that these protesters stormed the premier’s home on Saturday night while her children and family were inside. It is also understood that this group had gathered illegally outside her home.

This illegal gathering and march on the Premier’s property has been widely condemned, even by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

However, on Wednesday, in a media statement, the group dared MEC for community safety and liaison, Sipho Hlomuka to release video footage showing their “violent” behaviour, saying they had conducted a door-to-door campaign to the premier’s home as the premier’s constituency.

"Surely, MEC Hlomuka is being misled. Umsinsi conducted a door-to-door visit to the Premier’s home, which was characterised by respect, humility, and honesty. Our actions were peaceful and aboveboard. No media house was invited, and it was not a public stunt. No march or rally ever took place," the group said.

This comes after the Department of Transportation, Community Safety and Liaison stated that the group stormed the premier's private home in Hillcrest and hurled insults at his family.

"The premier’s house is under surveillance with high-tech cameras. Umsinsi Wokuzimilela humbly pray to the Premier to release the whole video or selected footage where we stormed or invaded and/or hurled insults and intimidated her children to the public. We are willing to take full responsibility if there is a single footage showing and/or confirming a single act mentioned in MEC Sipho Hlomuka’s letter," the group said.

The newly formed youth movement stated that they will continue to hold government officials accountable, noting that it has become customary for political leaders to visit the homes of citizens without invitation during door-to-door campaigns, but when they do the same to political leaders, they are accused of storming their homes.

The Star