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UDM: Who is the third force?
25/05/2008 15:48 - (SA)
Johannesburg - Government should appoint a commission of inquiry to probe the xenophobic attacks that have claimed dozens of lives and left thousands of people homeless, the United Democratic Movement (UDM) said on Sunday.
UDM president Bantu Holomisa said there was a need for a transparent inquiry that would analyse the attacks and remove suspicions that they were "deliberate and orchestrated".
"The key here would be to remove any kind of suspicion that this thing was unleashed deliberately and orchestrated by whoever.
"Ministers are already telling us there is a third force. Let them bring that evidence to the commission."
Holomisa said there was a need for the inquiry to visit countries where people had been repatriated to, and gather evidence and testimonies from victims of the attacks.
Holomisa was addressing the Twelve Apostles Church in Bloemfontein to mark Africa Day. Churches
Holomisa called on churches to constantly monitor political leaders and scrutinise the work they were doing.
He said religious leaders played a crucial role in South Africa before 1994, but were shunned by politicians after the elections.
"Immediately after that watershed moment in our history, the political leaders immediately shunned the religious leaders and disowned their role, under the pretext that they had been elected democratically to lead the country," Holomisa said.
He reiterated his call for a national convention that would allow all key players to discuss national issues.
He said the convention should look at social cohesion, economic policies, poverty and crime.
- SAPA
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