BCM mayor appeals for end to violence
BUFFALO City mayor Zukiswa Ncitha called on citizens to stop destroying property and violating others’ rights when they want to be heard.
Speaking at a business breakfast hosted by the Black Management Forum to observe women’s rights, Ncitha called on citizens to courageously fight against violation of women’s rights to ensure another massacre in the vein of Sharpeville would never happen again.
On Tuesday night a meeting in which Ncitha addressed service delivery came to a fiery end when irate residents of Mzamomhle, Gonubie, torched a community hall, development centre and a spaza shop.
Citing the latest incident, Ncitha said youth disrupted her meeting in Mzamomhle but were called to order.
She said the growing trend of destroying public and private property around the country showed South Africans did not observe the responsibilities and duties that go with their rights.
“Those people whose places were burnt have rights too, even if they are foreigners. When we destroy what they work for, are we saying we are working towards that another Sharpeville does not happen?
“When you say a hall should be renovated, do you need to burn it down to make your point?” Ncitha asked.
“Our conduct as citizens of SA is about only rights, but ignores responsibilities.”
Human Rights Day yesterday commemorated the 53rd anniversary of a Pan-Africanist Congress-led protest against pass laws, where police opened live fire killing 69 demonstrators.
“We are saying we’ll never again have Sharpeville. For that to happen we have to act in such a way that it does not happen again.
“As mothers we have a big responsibility to educate our children, not just academically or about their rights, but also their responsibilities. Our children have to know that rights go with responsibilities,” said Ncitha.
Ncitha called on the women present to take up the fight against rape and domestic violence.
“Women’s issues remain at the periphery of social and political discourse because women have opted to focus on peripheral issues,” said Ncitha. —