JOINT STATEMENT BY LEADERS OF POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE WESTERN CAPE PROVINCIAL PARLIAMENT:
Noting:
- The current incidences of looting, violence, and attacks on property and people, and the loss of human life in Kwazulu-Natal and Gauteng in particular;
- The impact of theft, violence and criminality on the constitutional democracy and the rule of law in South Africa;
- That South Africa is currently on lockdown Alert Level 4, during the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic; and
- Believing that the safety of people and property is the constitutional responsibility of the State.
We therefore resolve, as political parties represented in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, to:
- Call for peace and stability in all communities;
- Appreciate the work of law enforcement agencies, neighbourhood watches, private security companies, community safety officers, and farm watches in maintaining law and order;
- Work with all communities as political representatives to maintain law, order and provide the necessary leadership to create calm in our communities;
- Not to take the law into their own hands but rather allow law enforcement agencies to conduct their work;
- Call on all citizens to refrain from spreading fake news and any information that is not true;
- Unite across political lines to reject this scourge of violence, lawlessness and unrest; and
- Pray for peace and stability in our nation, South Africa.
Signed by:
- Democratic Alliance – Albert Fritz
- African National Congress – Cameron Dugmore
- Freedom Front Plus – Peter Marais
- Good – Brett Herron
- African Christian Democratic Party – Ferlon Christians
- Al Jama-ah – Galil Brinkhuis
- Premier of the Western Cape – Alan Winde
- Speaker of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament – Masizole Mnqasela
- Deputy Speaker of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament – Beverley Schäfer
- Chief Whip of the Majority Party – Mireille Wenger
- Chief Whip of the Official Opposition – Pat Lekker
