Johannesburg – The African National Congress (ANC) on Tuesday said it views the shooting that took place at Zakarriya Park as a “calculated, cold-blooded murder and an unforgivable crime”.
“The murder of comrade Teboho Joala and his protector as well as the tragic shooting of the City of Johannesburg’s Chief Whip and others is a great tragedy, which has inflicted scars on innocent children and teachers who witnessed it,” the ANC said in a statement issued by the party’s Gauteng spokesman Lesego Makhubela.
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“We further view this as an open declaration of war against the authority of the state by brazen unrepentant criminals.
“We view this heinous crime as an open declaration of war as it took place in broad daylight in the presence of hundreds of young learners and their teachers.
The ANC said it strongly condemns “this brutal act” and urges law enforcement agencies to do everything possible to bring those responsible to book.
“We will not allow the authority of the state to be undermined and for our people to live in fear in a free and democratic South Africa,” the statement said.
“We pray for a speedy recovery of one of the most hard-working servants of the people of Johannesburg, Cllr Sithembiso Zungu, as well as the protectors who were shot in the attack.”
The ANC said it commends the timely intervention of the Gauteng Department of Education led by MEC Matome Chiloane, who pledged to offer counselling to the pupils and teachers present when the attack took place.
The ANC said it was “saddened by the unexpected and violent passing of Comrade Teboho Joala who was shot in the line of duty while handing out school uniforms to hundreds of learners in Johannesburg”.
Joala was the Chief Shared Services Officer at Rand Water.
“His death has robbed us of a valuable Comrade who made sterling and tremendous contributions to the ANC and the people of South Africa,” the ANC said.
“He was a man of unsurpassed loyalty to his people and country whose life has been ended at its prime.
Joala was a graduate of the Congress Youth movement who selflessly served in the Student Representative Council of TNT, which was later renamed Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), under both the South African Student Congress and the ANC Youth League.
He also served as a spokesperson of the ANC in the Greater Tshwane Region and gave the best years of his life serving the people of Tshwane and South Africa.
“The ANC pays tribute to an individual who was a living definition of a disciplined and selfless cadre whose life was dedicated to improving the quality of life of our people.
“To his family, wife, and kids, we are indebted for their generosity of sharing him with the ANC and the people of South Africa,” the statement said.
“His life will be a constant reminder of the responsibility we carry of total liberation of our people.
“May his soul rest in peace.”
