MEDIA STATEMENT
BY THE
INKATHA FREEDOM PARTY
IFP Rejects Launch of Street Committees to Combat Crime
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IFP PRESS
STATEMENT RELEASED BY: 13th August 2008 The IFP has taken note of the launch of several street committees in Durban on Sunday, by the ANC President Mr Jacob Zuma and the KZN ANC leadership, and we would like to once again restate our view that street committees to combat crime are undesirable. In rejecting the launch of the street-committees, Mr Ben Skosana, IFP MP, commented: "The persistent call to establish wholesale street committees to help fight crime presents the country with extremely frightening prospects. "This will in practice prove to be an unintentional invitation to widespread lawlessness and eventual anarchy, where political no-go-areas are re-established, antagonistic party political armies are formed, lives lost and properties destroyed. And criminal gangs will obviously find opportunities in the ensuing chaos. "We are also concerned that the newly formed street committees will prove to be illegitimate crime-fighting bodies, because security screening is not being done on individuals. As it stands, anyone is welcome to participate, even community members with criminal records. "As a party we also believe that the launch of these wholesale crime-fighting units is yet another clear admission by government, to the nation and the international community as a whole, that the law enforcement agencies of this country are failing to combat crime. "The IFP believes that instead of launching unrestrained community crime-combating units we should start by looking to our Churches and Religious leaders to lead the fight in restoring the moral fibre within our schools, communities and families and we must, as a nation, return to the values and practices of Ubuntu/Botho. In conclusion Mr Skosana said: "The IFP would like to once again appeal to government and the leadership of the ANC to reconsider this potentially harrowing social engineering at the time when our democracy is at its most fragile state. Let us strive for the legitimate reinforcement of the existing law enforcement agencies, including reorganising, restructuring and resourcing them adequately to deal with rampant crime."
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