SACP Limpopo condemns police shooting of protestors
30 January 2014
The South African Communist Party (SACP) Limpopo Province has learnt with shock and anger about the shooting of two un-armed and peaceful protesters during a service delivery protest at K Relela village earlier in the week. The SACP condemns the return of barbarism and savagery displayed by elements of the SAPS reminiscent of apartheid security era. The SACP believes that members of the SAPS must be seen promoting the culture of human rights by safeguarding the rights of working class and poor communities to un-armed and peaceful protests.
We want to convey our sincere condolences to the affected families and further call on responsible departments and the municipality to quickly address concerns as raised by the community. In addition the SACP calls for an urgent full investigation into the circumstances that led to use of brute and savage force that left two protesters dead.
The SACP is deeply worried about the continuous acts of police brutality however sporadic they may seem, the loss of one life is one too many. The Relela killing of two service delivery protesters by the police is a display of ill-equipped SAPS incapable of handling sensitive and desperate forms of service delivery protests in poor communities. The masses of our working class and the poor have rights enshrined in our Constitution which guarantees them socio-economic rights and in turn the right to enforce such through un-armed and peaceful forms of protest.
In the case of Relela the SACP verdict is that the protest was one characterized by no arms and was peaceful. Trifling between the protesters and police should by no means be elevated so as to create a pretext for the unwarranted application of maximum force on the part of the SAPS.
Twenty years into democracy, it cannot be tolerated that our police force is unable to manage protests and opt for apartheid tactics of killing innocent civilians. As the SACP we will continue to denounce these wrong trends of taking innocent human lives for sheer reasons of impunity.
The SACP Limpopo Province will embark on consultation process through meetings and community forums in advocating for a speedy response to Relela community and further engage with other communities which might have similar challenges. The SACP will do so because we believe that there are enough resource capacities to deliver quality services for a better life for all. In this connection ROLELA is no extra ordinary and their challenges must be addressed.
Issued by SACP Limpopo Province
Provincial Secretary - Gilbert Kganyago
Mobile: 072 586 7340
Tel: 015 297 8128
Email: gilbert@sacp.org.za
