The Editor
Dear Sir:
WEAK ANC GOVERNMENT LACKS WILL TO CURB POLITICAL VIOLENCE
The question that needs to be answered by ANC Provincial government is what more can be done to prevent acts of politically motivated violence that is reoccurring in KwaZulu Natal.
While independent monitoring of such acts and expressions of commitment by all sides to end violence, I believe that the MEC for Community Safety and Liaison needs to ensure that the SAPS begin to do what is expected of them to prevent political killings and urgently so. For the danger is that such acts of violence which appear sporadic for now, may soon develop into an unfortunate conflagration of the likes of the low-intensity civil war that engulfed our Province in the 80’s and the 90’s.
As the IFP we believe that KwaZulu-Natal just like South Africa as a whole faces a crisis of leadership which emanates from the internal tensions within the ruling party which have had the effect of paralysing both the national and provincial government. Hence a lack of resolute leadership and political will to do what is necessary to curb political and violence as well as crime in general.
The ANC’s focus has shifted from addressing the ‘bread and butter’ issues of development and concentrating on internal power struggles which have weakened the whole government machinery.
In fact KwaZulu-Natal is not only the province that is on the receiving end of government’s weaknesses and failure to deal effectively with these evils which tend to take us back to the dark days. The tragedy at the Lonmin Platinum Mine in the North West where more than 30 miners lost their lives is a perfect example of a government suffering from a leadership crisis.
The solution for the IFP lies in the political leaders of all parties coming together to work out practical and achievable programs to fight the scourge of violence once-and-for-all. Leaders must strongly and unequivocally drive the point home to their supporters that violence is a no-no.
Honourable MB Gwala
Leader of the Official Opposition at the KZN Legislature
Shadow MEC for Community Safety and Liaison
078 290 5842