The African National Congress (ANC) in the Western Cape has expressed concern about the high rate of murders in the City of Cape Town.
PICTURE: PixabayAccording to the party, at least 30 people were killed in
several incidents over the past few days in the city. The ANC says causes of
the murders include socio-economic issues such as poverty and unemployment.
‘’The bloodshed on the streets of Cape Flats and it
Townships is a damning indictment, painting a picture of a city in the grip of
a severe humanitarian crisis. Our communities have become killing fields, where
the fundamental human right to life and safety is being violently extinguished
daily. This is not just a policing issue; it is a full blown disaster that
demands the immediate attention of the highest office in the land,’’ said ANC
Dullah Omar Region in a statement.
’’It is with grave concern that we note the cynical
political gamesmanship of the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the face of this
tragedy. The DA is shamelessly using the lives and deaths of Capetonians as a
tennis ball, bouncing this human suffering between press conferences and social
media to achieve its regressive and narrow minded call for the devolution of
police powers. This call is a smokescreen, designed to mask their own abject
failure, over many years, to address the real, underlying social issues right
here in Cape Town that lead our young people into crime,’’ it added.
The ANC says President Cyril Ramaphosa must declare the
violence a national disaster.
‘’A State of Disaster is the necessary and proportionate
legal instrument to confront this emergency… The constitutional mandate to
protect the lives and security of citizens rests ultimately with the national government.
The people of Cape Town cannot be used as pawns in the DA's political games any
longer. We have reached a breaking point,’’ it said.
Done By: Elona Sibunzi
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