WATCH: ‘Drunk men’ disrupt TV interview with ANC leader in KZN

With a little over a week to go before the local government elections, political parties are hard at work on the campaign trail and also speaking to the media, in a bid to spread its messaging further. An interview the SABC had with an African National Congress (ANC) leader in KwaZulu-Natal didn’t quite go so well after a group of apparently drunk men stormed the area.

This is according to the ANC’s Media Relations Coordinator Amos Phago who tweeted a video of the alleged incident on his Twitter page. There’s no word on whether the encounter, which is said to have taken place in Indoni, Newcastle, was captured on live television. Not much is known about the incident, but according to Phago, the men started by asking the ANC members to leave, but they ignored them and they continued with their campaigning. The men then targeted the media, which prompted SAPS members to intervene.

It’s not all smiles ahead of the local polls, there have been growing concerns over the rise in killings believed to be politically-motivated. KZN is considered one of the hot spots on that front, evening prompting a visit by Police Minister Bheki Cele earlier this week. This is after two coucillor ward candidates were killed within days of each other.

On Friday, 15 October, an ANC eThekwini councillor candidate, Siyabonga Mkhize, was shot dead in Cato Crest during campaigning. Just two days later (on Sunday), EFF ward councillor candidate Thulani Shangase was also gunned down while on the ground.

A special task team is currently looking into the spate of political killings and the police minister says some progress has already been made.

“We are very proud of the police, especially the task team that has been put there. It has really put some sense, some calmness in this very hot situation of politics in KZN,” said Cele.