[LISTEN] ANC to investigate protests against 'Gangster State' book launch
The African National Congress (ANC) says it will investigate the mayhem caused by a group of protesters at the launch of Pieter Louis-Myburgh's book, 'Gangster state.'
On Tuesday evening, a group of protesters - some wearing ANC T-shirts - disrupted the launch and ripped up several books at the launch at Exclusive books in Sandton City.
Police were deployed after the security personnel from the centre were not able to restore calm and order in the book store.
The book makes explosive allegations of large scale corruption and state capture by ANC Secretary General, Ace Magashule, while he was Premier of the Free State.
The ANC Youth League in the Free State says it also plans to make a bonfire at a dumping site outside Mangaung on Monday to burn the books.
Also Read: Free State ANCYL calls for the burning of the Ace Magashule book
ANC acting spokesperson, Dakota Legoete, says the ruling party is condemning the disruptions and the call to burn the book.
He added that they will request the provincial structures in the Free-State to investigate if these members are part of the ANC.
"We will also be asking the Youth League to also investigate the matter so that we can bring them (protesters) through our discipline processes to come and account because you can't do this abolishment act in the name of the organisation," Legoete said.
"All these liberties, the bill of rights, freedom of speech those are the things we fought for as the ANC, all our leaders went to exile, Robben Island some were killed for those liberties. So it cannot be us who are an anti-feces of the philosophy of the way of life, of the values and policy principles' position of the ANC. We must condemn it and we are going to take these particular members to task," adds Legoete.
Meanwhile, the Congress of the People (COPE) is calling on the South African Police Service (SAPS) to deal harshly with the disgruntled protesters who disrupted the launch.
"We can never allow hooligans to disrupt peaceful book launches, we will fight against anybody who's is threatening our freedom, we fought for this media freedom and freedom of speech so it must be protected," says Cope spokesperson Dennis Bloem.