ANC MUST STOP INTIMIDATION AND HYPOCRISY TOWARDS PITYANA

We condemn the ANC and its alliance partners protest march against Barney Pityana at UNISA. The ANC must stop this disruptive behaviour.

It is nothing but outright Intimidation of a person who has a democratic right to belong to any political party.

The ANC is directly undermining and attacking the Constitution with its individual rights and freedoms. It is high time that South Africans who are sick and tired of this nonsense should organise a counter march in support of Pityana and his right to belong to any political. We hold no brief for Pityana or COPE, but all of us must unite now and say without hesitation: We will not be intimidated. We will not allow our rights to be sacrificed when these don't suit the ANC. We will not look the other way when you intimidate Pityana today, because tomorrow it could be all of us.

The ANC has top businessman sitting in their NEC who know beforehand about government decisions; guess who wins the tenders? They have top civil servants and top people from parastatals as well as civil society sitting in their NEC and actively participating in politics. It is the height of hypocrisy to complain about Pityana's political affiliation; he has not abused his position for his political party's benefit.

Their sudden froth about Pityana's politics interfering with education at UNISA is not backed by any facts.

On the other hand the ANC's Gauteng Education MEC has openly abandoned her post and constitutional duty to the taxpayers in order to campaign for the ANC. ANC coalition partner, COSATU, has teachers among its members who have abandoned classes to campaign for the ANC. And in the past few weeks Julius Malema has campaigned in a school, during school hours in contravention of IEC and Education Department regulations.

Statement issued by Bantu Holomisa, MP, United Democratic Movement President, March 4 2009