ANC CONCERNED ABOUT EFF CALLS FOR VIOLENCE

16 FEBRUARY 2015

The African National Congress is extremely concerned about statements attributed to EFF leader Floyd Shivambu where he promises to return to Parliament armed when the SONA debates take place this week.

This statement is made even more ominous by calls which follow it by Julius Malema calling on EFF members to prepare to "fight back" in retaliation to some sensational and imagined plot by the National Chairperson of the ANC to have him assassinated. While the events of the State of the Nation Address were extremely unfortunate, the ANC cautions against pronouncement by leaders on all sides of the divide making inflammatory statements which serve to only further polarise our already tense society.

Our constitutional democracy has as one of its enshrined principles the right to free expression, however that right is not unlimited and does not extend to speech which is intended to incite violence.

As Parliament sits to debate and deliberate on the very important matters raised by the President in the State of the Nation Address last week, the African National Congress once again appeals to Members of this august House to honour and respect it and the millions of South Africans for whom Parliament is a living embodiment of our hard won struggle for self determination and democracy.

Anarchy, disorder and staged theatrics have no place in our sacrosanct chambers where South Africans expect their elected representatives to lead them with honour, conviction and integrity. The scenes witnessed during the State of the Nation Address are ones that should never have happened and should never be repeated.

Statement issued by Zizi Kodwa, ANC national spokesperson, February 16 2015

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter