Time to end anarchy in local communities - media statement by Mr Bantu Holomisa, MP (UDM President)
(9 June 2006)The people who burned down the Mayor's house know that a property such as that will have extended family on the premises. Thus not only have these thugs convinced themselves that they are entitled to attacks upon the Mayor, but they also feel no qualms in possibly killing any other person that gets in their way, even children.
This is another example of the continuous divisions of political camps in the ANC and the Tripartite Alliance which is undermining democracy and introducing dangerously violent elements into our country's political discourse. We saw the effects of the ANC's infighting last year all over the Eastern Cape and other provinces. Competing factions and their councillors fight each other bitterly and do not hesitate to inflame the emotions of the poor and disadvantaged in a community in order to further their vendettas against other ANC councillors. We saw this in Khutsong.
This freedom that everybody claims to have fought for is being abused and threatened by the ANC and its Alliance partners' inability to control internal conflict and dissent. If it becomes acceptable for ANC infighting to be settled through inciting violence in local communities then the whole country will soon teeter on the edge of anarchy.
The time has come for the authorities to draw a line and say: no further. The instigators of these outbreaks of violence must be arrested and prosecuted, whether they are active local ANC or Alliance leaders or not.
