Cape Town – Political parties in KwaZulu Natal have committed themselves to free and fair elections ahead of the national poll on 29 May.
The province has been a hotbed of political violence in the past. Tens of thousands of people – about 20 000 according to KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube – died in political violence from the late 1980s to beyond 1994.
This year, there was a widespread outcry when a senior member of Jacob Zuma’s new uMkhonto weSize (MK) party made allegedly inflammatory remarks.
Visvin Reddy appeared in court on 3 April for allegedly inciting violence. The matter was transferred to the Durban Regional Court, where he will appear on 14 June 2024. The party has since distanced itself from his remarks, which were circulated widely on social media.
The MK party was among 33 political parties, including the ANC, IFP, EFF and the DA, which signed a code of conduct on Thursday, 18 April 2023, promising to uphold the principles of free and fair elections and to avoid violence. The pledge was signed at an event organised by the Electoral Commission (IEC) at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre this week.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dube-Ncube said the commitment was “much more than just appending signatures to a pledge, but a solemn promise to our people that they will not allow the elections to take us back to the days of instability”.
Provincial police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi said 17 000 police officers will be deployed in the province during this year’s elections, according to IOL.
However, the Institute for Security Studies believes that it is unlikely that South Africa will see the level of widespread violence experienced in July 2021, when Zuma supporters went on a widespread looting and rioting spree to protest at the former president’s jailing for contempt of court. About 300 people died in the violence.
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