Mentally handicapped man tries to storm stage as Ramaphosa addresses ANC branches in North West

On Saturday, an unidentified man invaded the auditorium and attempted to storm the platform where President Cyril Ramaphosa was sitting at the Mmabatho Convention Centre in the North West.

The presidential protection squad swiftly battered the man and removed him from the arena.

In the audience, screams of “tshwara motho o” (grab that person) could be heard.

An identified man without a tag has managed to pass the security checkpoint and ran into the vanue in an attempt to go on stage where the president is seated. The presidential protection unit has, however, manhandled the man and took him out of the venue. pic.twitter.com/xCJFC9sRFL

— Lunga_mzangwe (@lunga_mzangwe) May 27, 2023

Nono Maloyi, the North West province chairwoman, stated the individual was mentally handicapped.

Meanwhile, the top seven of the ANC and the National Working Committee (NWC) are in the North West to try and resolve some of the grievances raised by branches in the province.

Some branch members have raised concerns about poor service delivery because the municipalities are broke.

They have also accused ANC councillors of working with opposition parties where the ANC is in a coalition.

They accused the councillors of furthering agendas of their coalition partners rather than those of the ANC.

Some of them have also accused ANC members coming late to council sittings, not submitting sticking notes and deviating from the mandate of the party in council.

Ramaphosa will later address the branches after the grievances are submitted.