National Assembly Cape Town: 28 August 2007  

Madame Speaker, 

The Inkatha Freedom Party is extremely concerned now that it has become apparent that ATM bombers are targeting townships and rural areas. 

In recent weeks there has been a spate of ATM bombings at Dube Village, Inanda; at Hlabisa in northern Zululand; Jozini in Maputaland and at Emanguzi on the Mozambique border. 

Poorer communities are being punished by ruthless criminals, who especially like to target KwaZulu-Natal's rural areas, because of its close proximity to the Mozambique border. 

ATMs are provided by private companies and banks to people who live in poorer communities because they don't have the resources to travel to bigger towns or cities, to make use of banking services there.  

The poor are once again suffering and we therefore call on the Minister of Safety and Security to step up all efforts to curb the recent upsurge of ATM bombings. Police, liaising with various stakeholders must make sure that they stop commercial explosives being illegally sold to these callous criminals.  

I thank you.