Violence comes from apartheid - Zuma
2013-02-15 09:18
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Zuma
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Cape Town - Violence in society originates from the
apartheid system, President Jacob Zuma said on Friday.
"I don't think as a nation we just became violent
overnight. Violence is a direct consequence of apartheid. Apartheid was a very
violent system. So violent that even if you peacefully demonstrated, they would
shoot at you and kill you," Zuma told a The New Age breakfast.
"That called the reaction from those who were oppressed
to become very violent in fighting apartheid."
Zuma said the African National Congress was a non-violent
organisation. However, due to persistent violence from the apartheid
government, the party had to take up arms.
"Those who are demonstrating for example, because they
are from that kind of situation that if you protest you are going to be shot
at, so they are already in a sense full of readiness to do violence," Zuma
said.
"If we have that background it means it is not a matter
that we are going to deal with overnight. We are going to take time."
However, Zuma condemned violent protests. He urged citizens
to respect other people's rights while exercising their right to strike.
- SAPA
