Staff Reporter
A Free State grouping of political organisations, labour and a civic body has condemned the acts of violence, looting and general lawlessness witnessed in other parts of the country and called for calm and restraint.
The Provincial Alliance Political Council represented by officials of the ANC, SA Communist Party, COSATU and the SA National Civic Organisation in the Free State issued a statement on Wednesday following a virtual meeting called to reflect on the violence gripping parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
The member organisations urged communities to resist and desist from participating in what they called destructive acts and work with law enforcement agencies to stop any unlawful activities they come across.
“Our communities must unite, close ranks and never allow opportunists to use their grievances for their nefarious ends,” read part of the joint statement.
It was issued by former ANC provincial secretary Paseka Nompondo and COSATU provincial secretary Monyatso Mahlatsi.
Nompondo is now the coordinator of the ANC Interim Provincial Committee after the Free State executive was dissolved by a court order.
“The alliance reaffirms constitutionalism and unequivocally condemns the ongoing opportunism, lawlessness and criminality characterised by looting, arson, destruction of public and private property,” added the statement.
The group admitted that South Africa is ravaged by deep-seated structural socio-economic challenges that have resulted in rising unemployment as well as poverty, inequality and under-development and corruption.
“The incidents that engulfed some parts of the country showed clear signs of the depth of these social ills that are ravaging the fabric of society,” it said.
“The alliance . . . implores the community to expose and denounce any attempts by opportunists to use the genuine grievances and challenges confronting them to fan up lawlessness.
“Any member belonging to any of the alliance structures found to be involved in these criminal activities shall be severely dealt with.”