Respect for life has been lost - Meshoe
2012-10-16 16:45
Johannesburg - Shooting at a person in full view of police and television cameras is an indication that respect for life and fear of the police has been lost, the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) said on Tuesday.
"If people are not safe in the presence of the police, then where will they be safe? Because our streets are also no longer safe," said party leader Reverend Kenneth Meshoe in a statement.
"Even our homes, which should be a place of safety, are being violated by criminals on a daily basis."
He was reacting to the shooting of Inkatha Freedom Party supporter Siya Dlamini in front of police and television cameras outside the Ntuzuma Magistrate's Court in KwaZulu-Natal on Monday.
IFP councillor Mdu Nkosi said the shots were fired while he was giving an interview following the appearance of three men in connection with the shooting of an IFP supporter a little more than a week ago at the KwaMashu hostels in Durban.
Meshoe called on Justice and Constitutional Development Minister, Jeff Radebe, to act swiftly and to ensure that the man who shot and killed the IFP member was prosecuted as soon as possible, preferably this week.
"Why would this case take months before it is finalised when there are so many witnesses to the murder? We would like to see swift justice done in this case, as we saw happen during the 2010 Fifa World Cup tournament."
The Congress of the People (Cope) said it was regrettable that the gruesome killings of both IFP and NFP (National Freedom Party) members continued to escalate despite continued calls for a political solution in KwaZulu-Natal.
"It is high time that inter-political battles in KwaZulu-Natal receive the necessary attention by means of a political intervention in order to stabilise the province," said spokesperson on police, Leonard Ramatlakane.
He said such political intervention must seek to educate supporters of political parties about the co-existence of political opponents and tolerance of different ideas and political persuasion.
The man accused of shooting dead the IFP supporter outside the Ntuzuma Magistrate's Court was expected to appear in the same court facing murder charges on Wednesday.
- SAPA
