The Presidency Minister responsible for State Security, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, has warned members of uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party who are threatening violence ahead of the elections that they will face the full might of the law.
She said law enforcement agencies were on full alert and would ensure that they protect South Africans against any form of violence.
The minister was speaking on Thursday during a media briefing in Cape Town on the outcome of the Cabinet meeting.
Ntshaveni’s warning to the MKP comes after MKP youth leader Bonginkosi Khanyile became the latest leader of the splinter party to threaten violence when he said there will not be elections in the country if former president Jacob Zuma was not on the ballot paper.
Another MK party leader in KwaZulu-Natal, Visvin Reddy, also said there won’t be elections if the party was not allowed to contest elections.
Ntshavheni said they would not allow the repeat of the July 2021 riots. The riots led to the killing of 350 people and the damage to businesses and infrastructure. The riots came after Zuma was sent to prison for 15 months for contempt of court.
Ntshaveni said Cabinet did not discuss the issue of threats of violence by the MKP, but she asserted that law enforcement agencies were ready to deal with any situation.
President Cyril Ramaphosa also said last week that they will not allow any form of violence during the elections.
He said those involved in perpetrating violence will be arrested.
Ntshavheni said they will not allow the country to be held hostage by people who were threatening violence.
“There will be free and fair elections in this country. We will protect it with all we have. Anybody who threatens violence when we have got dispute resolution mechanisms for either elections or any type of dispute does not deserve to live among South Africans and law enforcement agencies must make sure they are brought to book because there won’t be mayhem, there won’t be a repeat of the July 2021 unrest in this country when our law enforcement agencies are at work,” said Ntshavheni.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) last week received lists of parties who will contest the elections.
The MKP is headed to the Electoral Court next week where the African National Congress (ANC) has filed an application over its trademark of the name and logo of uMkhonto WeSizwe.
IOL Politics