United Democratic Movement (UDM) leader Bantu Holomisa on Friday condemned reports that African National Congress (ANC) members tried to disrupt a public meeting hosted by former ANC chairperson Terror Lekota.
Holomisa said ruling party leader Jacob Zuma should speak to his supporters who chanted ”kill Lekota” outside the venue of a meeting in Orange Farm near Vereeniging on Thursday.
”South Africans are not ready to see him [Zuma] ascending to the corridors of power by jumping over the corpses of South Africans,” said Holomisa.
The UDM leader called on the Independent Electoral Commission to hold a meeting with all political parties, the heads of security forces and the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) to discuss how to ”level the playing fields” ahead of general elections next year.
At the meeting on Thursday, Lekota said he expected ANC members to quit in ”big numbers” in support of a breakaway party.
”The people will form their own party,” said Lekota in reply to a question on whether he was openly saying a new opposition party would be formed.
Lekota said he knew for certain there were ANC members about to resign in ”big numbers” in support of his movement.
Only a few hundred supporters of his plans to hold a national convention in Bloemfontein on November 2 showed up at Thursday’s meeting. Organisers had said beforehand that about 4 000 people were expected to attend.
The convention will discuss the formation of a new political party. Lekota said he also expected some opposition parties to attend the convention but did not elaborate.
He blamed the low turnout on Thursday on supporters of Zuma trying to disrupt the meeting and who chanted ”Kill Lekota” earlier in the day.
”I said to my people, ‘Don’t panic.’ I was invited here by the people of Orange Farm. These people have been bussed in from Soweto,” said Lekota, who was dressed in a dark suit and yellow shirt.
Tolerance
He preached tolerance, saying his supporters should not retaliate. ”If they say you are dogs, don’t call them dogs … Those of you who were in the ANC and have T-shirts of the ANC, you must not burn them.”
Many in the audience wore yellow T-shirts imprinted with Lekota’s photograph and the words ”South African National Congress”. The back of the T-shirts sported the words ”Ready to govern and save South Africa from tyranny”.
Lekota urged his supporters to exercise restraint towards their opponents.
”We must not allow throwing stones; don’t throw stones back. If they go and burn someone’s house, don’t go and burn their house,” he said. ”We must protect the rights of other political formations and parties. We must protect the right to hold meetings, to talk to people.”
Lekota warned of ”dangerous elements” in the ANC and referred to ANC Youth League president Julius Malema, who in the past said he was willing to kill for Zuma. — Sapa