9 February 2000
The African National Congress condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the cowardly attack on our National Organiser, comrade Mandla Dlamini by faceless bandits in Soweto on Tuesday Night.
Comrade Mandla was accosted by four armed men when he stopped in front of a house in Mzimhlophe where he was to attend a meeting. They demanded his car keys and when he told them the car belonged to the ANC, one of them shot him in the face and arm. They searched him and removed his cellular phone, credit cards and his fire-arm before driving off in his car leaving him for dead.
A badly wounded Comrade Mandla was taken to Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital in a serious condition. We wish comrade Mandla a speedy recovery and hope to see him back among us soon. Comrade Mandla is a pillar of strength among our comrades in the Organising Department across the entire country. The dastardly act of cowardice by these heartless criminals has robbed our organisation - albeit temporarily - of a tireless organiser whose valuable contribution to the process of building our organisation will be sadly missed.
We extend words of comfort to his family and promise them that we will walk every inch of the way with them in the process of assisting the comrade back to normal life. We also want to assure them that we will not rest until the perpetrators of his heinous crime have been brought to book. Such spineless creatures do not deserve to be allowed to live among other people.
For further information contact Nat Serache
Cell number: 0824163150.
51 Plein Street
Johannesburg