SA is tired of violence, we want peace

Yesterday we published a reflective letter by Rey Ntuli Ngema, a Sowetan reader who correctly reminded us of the bloody consequences of political violence as a result of those who, as he writes, beat drums of war.

This follows reckless and inciting statements by MK Party youth leader Bonginkosi Khanyile, a power hungry supporter of former president Jacob Zuma, whose thirst for violence ultimately defines the limited depth of his politics.

Khanyile has threatened war if Zuma’s name is not on the ballot for the May election.

Zuma is a convicted criminal who was sentenced to 15months in jail for contempt of court without an option of a fine.

Our constitution therefore does not allow him to be elected to public office until 2027.

The fact that his supporters seek to delegitimise his conviction does not do away with this reality.

Zuma supporters have jumped on a disinformation campaign, suggesting that he was being barred from standing for office for political reasons. Nothing could be further from the truth. This law applies to all. That Zuma happens to be the only former president in this country with a criminal conviction in a democratic era is a result of his own doing.

Threats of violence and disruption of elections must be strictly monitored by law enforcement agencies.

The people of SA know all too well the consequences of incitement and political violence.

As many of our readers often point out, the wounds of the ANC/IFP clashes are not a distant memory. These scars define many families whose lives were changed forever. So too are those of the July unrest, where hundreds of people died, and for which Khanyile is to stand trial in June for being an alleged instigator.

Khanyile’s consistent provocation of law enforcement agencies, daring them to use his inciting utterances as further evidence against him demonstrates his disdain for the law and his enthusiasm for anarchy. He and his ilk must not be allowed. South Africans do not want violence. We want a nation where the ideals of our constitution are realised and the rights of all people are protected, not undermined by charlatans.