Mpumalanga Provincial Alliance Joint Statement Against Looting and Violent Unrest

July 16, 2021

The Alliance in Mpumalanga joins the call for peace and calm in our communities. We have for the past few days witnessed the destruction of property and lives in our country. This has led to mayhem, lawlessness, destruction of economic infrastructure and the loss of economic stability that is necessary for our program of economic renewal.

We acknowledge the discomfort by some in the country with the arrest of the former President Jacob Zuma. Justice must not be viewed as a means to fight political battles and settle individual differences but as a means to bring order in our society.

Everybody has a right to freedom of speech and expression which according to our constitution has limits.

Due to this reckless and unlawful behaviour by some, lives have been lost unnecessarily. As the alliance we would like to send words of condolences to the affected families and communities.

As the Alliance we understand the severity of the triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality within our communities. We call on our communities not to allow themselves to be provoked by counter revolutionary forces using their economic hardship that they are facing due to the depressed economic outlook in our country made worse by the Covid 19 pandemic.

The destruction of economic infrastructure and looting can only lead to further destruction of the few jobs that our people are having thereby deepening existing poverty within our working class communities. The working class should not allow their poverty to be used as a tool to destroy and collapse our National Democratic Revolutionary programme by thugs and agent provocateurs.

Let us all unite and fight for a peaceful, democratic and prosperous South Africa. Let us unite against vandalism, distraction of economic infrastructure and promote adherence to the rule of law by all citizens of our country.  

Released by Mpumalanga Alliance Partners  

ANC – Lindiwe Ntshalintshali: 0611388049

SACP – Cde Bonakele Majuba: 082 968 4877

COSATU – Cde David Mokoena: 073 750 2041