Statement by Bantu Holomisa UDM President
The announcement by Minister for Safety and Security that he is requesting Minister of Justice, Dullah Omar to appoint an Independent judicial Commission of Inquiry into the violence in KZN is welcomed by the UDM.
Since July 1998, the UDM has been calling for an Independent Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the root causes of the violence in KZN. The life of the late Secretary General of the UDM, Sifiso Nkabinde and many other innocent victims could have been saved did the ANC then adhered to this call. Though it is late in the day, we are glad that reason at last prevails in the governing party regarding this very sad situation.
The scope of work of this commission should not be limited to come up with preventative measures. It should definitely investigate and provide answers to the question of who were behind this spiral of violence. We need to have a full picture of the situation in KZN in order to understand it completely. Preventative measures will not succeed unless the perpetrators of these horrendous crimes and their ruthless masters are brought to book. Not investigating the past cycle of violence and who were behind it raises questions about who it is that government would like to protect?
