/ MEDIA STATEMENT / The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

The Democratic Alliance in KwaZulu-Natal calls on provincial Premier, Sihle Zikalala, and his CoGTA MEC, Sipho Hlomuka, to urgently prioritise the recommendations of the Moerane Commission to ensure that all councillors – regardless of the party they are affiliated to – are able to execute their duties without fearing for their lives.

The call comes after the murder of Councillor Minenhle Mkhize of Ward 103 in eThekwini, at the weekend. The DA extends its sincere condolences to the family of Cllr Mkhize. We also call on SAPS to ensure that justice is upheld and that the guilty parties are brought to book.

The murder of Cllr Mkhize comes just a few short months after the ANC candidate for Ward 101 in the Metro was killed. This murder is still under investigation.

Losing a loved one is a terrible experience, particularly when there is violence involved. Yet the sad fact remains that being a ward councillor in our province seems to be one of the most dangerous jobs in South Africa.

The overall murder rate in our country remains unacceptably high. It also cannot be denied that internal strife within the ANC has led to the continuation of political violence in our province.

Despite this, it is now more than three years since the then Premier of KZN, Willies Mchunu, presented the Moerane report into political killings in our province. At that time the provincial government promised to implement the recommendations of the report. To date, this is no more than an empty promise.

The long-term solution to political violence in KZN does not lie in spending millions of Rands on body guards. It lies in dealing with the causes of violence and the prevalence of a culture of violence that appears to be endemic to some organisations.

The Premier and his CoGTA MEC have a duty to the public representatives of our province – and the people they serve – to ensure that they are able to do their jobs. The Moerane report recommendations must be implemented without any further delay.

Issued by DA KZN Spokesperson on CoGTA, Martin Meyer, MPL