Photo: Twitter
Riots latest: WC political parties ANC, DA and others unite to call for peace
As citizens wonder when the SANDF will step in to protect their businesses and suburbs political parties say the state is obligated to do so.
Photo: Twitter
South African political parties represented in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament have taken note of the anarchy in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng and called for unity, peace and stability in all communities.
In a statement signed by six political parties, including the African National Congress (ANC) and Democratic Alliance (DA), the parties said that they had taken note of the current incidents of “looting, violence, and attacks on property and people, and the loss of human life in Kwazulu-Natal and Gauteng in particular”.
They said they had noted the impact of the violence and criminality on the constitutional democracy and the rule of law in South Africa and that South Africa is currently on lockdown Alert Level 4, during the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. The parties said that “the safety of people and property is the constitutional responsibility of the State”.
They said that as political parties they resolved to:
- Call for peace and stability in all communities;
- Appreciate the work of law enforcement agencies, neighbourhood watches, private security companies, community safety officers, and farm watches in maintaining law and order;
- Work with all communities as political representatives to maintain law, order and provide the necessary leadership to create calm in our communities;
- Not to take the law into their own hands but rather allow law enforcement agencies to conduct their work;
- Call on all citizens to refrain from spreading fake news and any information that is not true;
- Unite across political lines to reject this scourge of violence, lawlessness and unrest; and
- Pray for peace and stability in our nation, South Africa.
The statement was signed by the ANC, DA, Freedom Front Plus, Good, African Christian Democratic Party and Al Jama-ah.
