Political killings in KZN not just ANC

The blame cannot only be apportioned to the ANC when it comes to political killings in KwaZulu-Natal, said provincial ANC chairman Sihle Zikalala at the Moerane Commission.

On Thursday, Zikalala led a delegation of provincial executive committee members to the commission, which is investigating political killings in the province.

He said the ANC's commitment to establishing peace and stability in South Africa and, in particular, KwaZulu-Natal, was well documented.

"The ANC made the call for the establishment of this commission of inquiry out of grave concerns resulting from widespread killings of politicians, which began to be more intense towards the 2011 local government elections and because of extreme violence pre- and post- the 2016 local government elections," he said.

Zikalala said the killings had affected most of the parties in the province, albeit to different degrees.

"Of all the political parties, the ANC has been the most affected. Out of failure to appreciate objective realities or out of sheer opportunism, many have sought to then conclude that the killing of politicians is the problem emanating from the ANC and is, therefore, a problem of the ANC."

In what appeared to be a dig at the former provincial ANC chairman, Senzo Mchunu, who testified last month, Zikalala said: "Those who are in the ANC have not only sought to speak with authority on so-called internal weaknesses and squabbles in the ANC, but have also, in processes, tried to insulate themselves and posture as victims or messiahs whose views should be taken a gospel truth."

Zikalala said it was prudent that the South African criminal justice system and the SAPS be transformed and equipped to deal with these incidents.

"The ANC believes that intelligence, both state security and crime intelligence, can play a major role in identifying culprits and perpetrators of crime and violence."