Western Cape is a fragile society, says ANC as it slams violence between EFF, Land Party

5 April 2019

The ANC condemns the violence between the EFF and Land Party that brought an end to today’s Morning Live debate in Hout Bay.

Tracked by television cameras, members of both parties used chairs as weapons in Hangberg, Hout Bay, during the live elections debate.

Slamming the clashes between the two parties, ANC Western Cape elections head Ebrahim Rasool warned that the Western Cape is a fragile society.

South Africa’s former Ambassador to the US said: “The Western Cape is a fragile society that is already burdened by racial polarization caused by the DA’s policies. We can least afford the kind of political violence that we have seen in Caledon, Grabouw and other places.”

Ambassador Rasool said it was disconcerting that the two parties used “violent methods to hold our democracy to ransom” in the same month in which the ANC Paris representative Dulcie September was slain in the French capital, former Umkhonto we Sizwe Chief of Staff Chris Hani was assassinated, lifelong freedom fighter Winnie Mandela died and Solomon Mahlangu was hanged in Pretoria Central Prison.

“They died for democracy, liberation, freedom of speech and the right to be heard,” Ambassador Rasool said. 

Because of the violent confrontation in Hangberg, Hout Bay said Ambassador Rasool, the DA “was let off the hook this morning and did not have to explain the R2 billion it had not spent on the Urban Settlements Grant”.

This failure has had a direct impact on the residents of Hangberg and Imizamo Yethu. “The DA was also let off the hook on crime, drugs and murder. The DA was escaped from being made to explain their failure to create jobs in the lucrative Hout Bay harbour,” Ambassador Rasool said.

Issued by Dennis Cruywagen on behalf of ANC WC, 5 April 2019