The ANC on Sunday denounced incidents of political violence which left several of their members injured after they were shot at and pelted with stones in Nongoma in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
”We would like to deplore in the strongest terms today’s [Sunday] incidents of political intolerance displayed by the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) supporters and members in KwaZulu-Natal,” party spokesperson Carl Niehaus said in a statement.
Both parties held their rallies in Nongoma on Sunday and the situation became tense on Sunday morning when buses transporting ANC members to the rally were pelted with stones, allegedly by IFP members and supporters.
Several people were injured.
Despite a heavy police presence in the area, three ANC members, including a member of the Zulu royal family were shot at in the area on Sunday evening, KwaZulu-Natal police said.
Police spokesperson Director Phindile Radebe said Prince Zeblon Zulu, who is also an ANC member of Parliament, was travelling from the ANC rally with two other people when they were shot.
ANC provincial spokesperson Nomfundo Mcetywa said Zulu was with his son and daughter-in-law.
Zulu and his son sustained minor injuries but the daughter-in-law was airlifted to hospital in a critical condition.
Niehaus said: ”This form of dangerous desperation to seek voter attention is something the ANC has not done and will not do. The ANC would like to reiterate its position on political tolerance and multiparty democracy as enshrined in the Constitution. We believe in freedom of speech, press and association”.
He urged political parties ”not to use intimidation and violence in the run-up to the elections”.
”Not only is this undemocratic, but flies in the face of the Constitution which we have so much fought for,” he said.
The IFP denied all allegations levelled against its members on Sunday evening.
”ANC leaders must stop pointing fingers at our members. This is very reckless and it will fuel tensions. They must just leave the police to conduct investigation,” IFP national organiser Albert Mncwango said.
Call for calm
Meanwhile, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) called for calm on Monday.
”We are obviously concerned because it is going to be very difficult for us to conduct free and fair elections in an atmosphere where there is violence and a lack of political tolerance,” IEC chief electoral
officer Pansy Tlakula told South African Broadcasting Corporation radio.
She said the electoral code of conduct only came into effect after the president announced the election date.
”It is incumbent for political parties to report acts of violence to the police. The police also have to be seen to be acting against the perpetrators of criminal conduct,” said Tlakula.
”I think the main players are the political parties themselves and the police. We are committed to ensuring that everybody abides by the law but the police and the political parties have to do the same.” – Sapa