New party calls for return of death penalty
If the African Transformation Movement (ATM) president Vuyolwethu Zungula had his way the death penalty would be back.
He believes putting serial rapists, murderers and drug dealers to death would help combat a “rising animal spirit in humans”.
Addressing more than 1,000 supporters who travelled from around the country to the Bhisho Stadium for the party’s launch, he said: “I don’t think parents who fought for freedom in this country ever thought there will be the right time for the death penalty but because we don’t see each other as fellow human beings anymore, we need to find ways of stopping the animal that is coming out of humans.
“If a person does not see themselves fit enough to live with other people and decides to kill other people – that kind of people deserves such punishment,” he charged.
“But there must be an extensive process to ensure that the sentenced person is indeed the guilty person,” he said.
Turning his attention to next year’s general and provincial elections, a confident Zungula, 31, predicted the new kids on the political block would be in power after next year’s polls.
The party was registered with the IEC on June 20.
“Accountability needs to start now because we have only seven months to prepare for governance. When May 2019 comes, it will be the ATM that will win,” he said to applause.
“When we talk about accountability we are not talking about accountability that will start in June next year, we are talking about accountability that should start now.”
Zungula said they were willing to work with other parties to topple the ANC.
“Let us be accountable to the people we are leading. We need to work with other political parties, our message to the people is the ATM. We are not talking about weaknesses of other political parties. As a true ATM servant at any platform you are given your only message should be ‘ATM has the intention to grow this country’.
“People want solutions, they don’t want to know what is wrong with other parties,” he said.
Former DA provincial chair Veliswa Mvenya, who is now the ATM’s provincial chair, said another launch will take place in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
She said about 500 volunteers were sworn in for BCM.
The party was formed by the South African Council of Messianic Churches in Christ (SACMCC) and has a huge following from the Twelve Apostolic Churches in Christ.