The SACP Gauteng calls on Bronkhorstspruit protesters to be granted bail and for voter registration to proceed uninterrupted

7 February 2014

The SACP Gauteng Province notes the visit by the Mayor of Tshwane to Bronkhorstspruit in response to service delivery protests of the past few weeks. The SACP appreciates that the Mayor finally visited the area and gave the people of Bronkhorstspruit a hearing with a view of instituting redress on their demands. This is in line with the call we made as the SACP for the people to be given a hearing.

The area of Zithobeni remains very tense however. Normal learning in the schools remains disrupted; the ability of workers to go to work is inhibited and the uninterrupted supply of government services is restrained. In general the situation in the community has not completely stabilised.

The SACP recognises that South Africa is a constitutional democracy based on the principle of the rule of law. In this regard we believe that the necessary processes of the law must be allowed to take full course.

We have already expressed our utter condemnation of those responsible for violence and public property destruction. We have confidence that the judiciary will handle the case professionally including on the basis of a profound investigation into what happened.

This weekend we will enter an important period in the history of a democratic South Africa. The 5th general election will take place in the context of massive achievements in the 20 years of democracy, including the guarantee of fundamental freedoms for our people. These rights were never enjoyed under apartheid.

In this regard, the SACP calls for an urgent consideration of bail to be granted to the service delivery protesters detained during the Bronkhorstspruit protests.

We make this call understanding that granting bail is not exoneration from the processes of the law.

We are cognisant that this is consistent with the rule of law and the presumption of innocent until proven guilty.

We believe that considering bail application for the protesters, will pave the way for the smooth election registration process over the weekend, for proper learning and teaching to take place and for workers to return to work.

In this regard we call upon all the community members in the area to cooperate with the IEC and for those unregistered to do so in their numbers.

The SACP will continue to engage the community in this regard.

We therefore call for an urgent bail application hearing to be held and for SAPS to smoothly facilitate this process.

Issued on behalf of the SACP Gauteng Province

Contact:

Mamabolo Jacob, SACP Gauteng Provincial Secretary, 082 884 1868,
Lucian Segami, SACP Gauteng Provincial Spokesperson, 079 522 0098