Mbeki wants it free and fair

2004-04-02 15:46

Cape Town - Less than two weeks before the April 14 election, President Thabo Mbeki has again appealed to all South Africans to ensure the election is genuinely free and fair.

Writing in the African National Congress' online publication, ANC Today, Mbeki said it was clear a small minority was still determined to resort to force and intimidation to undermine the democratic process.

They hoped to force the people to vote for parties they did not want to vote for, driven by fear of violence and death, he said.

"Perhaps, not surprisingly, the highest incidence of violence and intimidation we have experienced so far is in the province of KwaZulu-Natal.

"The media continues to insist that it is here that we will see the most intense and tense contest for the support of the people."

Mbeki said the reality was the ANC had experienced the greatest incidence of violence and intimidation against its members and supporters in KZN.

This had included the assassination of members, and instances of determined attempts to disrupt public meetings and campaigns.

Fortunately, both the SA Police Service and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) were convinced political violence in KZN would not reach levels compromising the possibility of free and fair elections in the province, he said.

"All participants in the elections must not help to create the situation where, after the elections, the losers will be given the possibility to claim that they lost because the elections were not free and fair, even though such violence as might have occurred would have been initiated by the losers."

South Africa would continue relying on the law-enforcement authorities to strictly, firmly and expeditiously ensure respect for the law by everybody, regardless of political affiliation.

"The masses of our people must be guaranteed the right freely to express their will, without let or hindrance by anybody," Mbeki said.

- SAPA