South Africans will not be intimidated: Ntshavheni on MK Party's election threats

14 March 2024 - 15:32
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Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has vowed that the violent mayhem experienced in July 2021 will not be repeated. File photo.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has vowed that the violent mayhem experienced in July 2021 will not be repeated. File photo.
Image: GCIS

Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has called on law enforcement agencies to apprehend those threatening violence if the elections do not go their way.

Ntshavheni has vowed that the violent mayhem experienced in July 2021 will not be repeated.

She was responding to journalists’ questions on whether the cabinet had discussed the threats being made in the build-up to May 29 general elections.

“There was no discussion in cabinet but law enforcement agencies must do their work to apprehend those who intimidate South Africans as instructed by the president,” she said.

“There is nobody who is going to intimidate South Africans. There will be free and fair elections in this country; we will protect that with all we have.”

Anybody who threatens violence when South Africa has dispute resolution mechanisms for elections or any type of dispute, doesn’t deserve to live among South Africans, and law enforcement agencies should make sure such people are brought to book, she said.

“There won’t be mayhem, there won’t be a repeat of the July 2021 unrest in this country when our law enforcement agencies are at work.”

The Jacob Zuma-led MK Party has threatened to stop the elections if Zuma is not on the ballot. The party warned it “will not accept losing”, adding that it won’t be defeated by soldiers who couldn’t stop the 2021 unrest. The party is planning to hold the country hostage by refusing to allow anyone to vote on May 29 if medical parolee Zuma is not on the ballot paper.

Its interim youth leader, Bonginkosi Khanyile, laughed off the possible deployment of soldiers or security forces, saying President Cyril Ramaphosa had no capacity in any of the nine provinces. Khanyile challenged Ramaphosa to unleash police “and all soldiers”.

The party was announcing Zuma as its presidential candidate for the May 29 elections.

It said defeat was not an option. “If we are not robbed, we will accept elections. There is no way we can be defeated by Cyril — it's not possible,” Khanyile said.

The party is unhappy with the ANC dragging it to court over its logo and trademark, which the ANC argues were stolen from its military wing Umkhonto we Sizwe.

TimesLIVE


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