By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on the South Africans to forge unity and resist any attempts to sow divisions that can cause destruction in the upcoming elections.
This follows uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party members who have said there will be violence if the party was not on the ballot paper.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has also warned those threatening violence.
He said they will not allow people who want to cause divisions in the elections.
Ramaphosa was on Saturday addressing the 110th commemoration of King Dinuzulu in KwaZulu-Natal, after he laid the wreath at the grave.
He said the late King had waged struggles against colonialism from a young age. This led to his imprisonment.
Today the country had leaders who did not want to be led.
“Today society is burdened by leaders who refuse to be led. They use their past and current leadership roles to sow division, fear and hate. They threaten violence and mayhem against the democratic state and its laws. Let me be clear, as I have been. This we will not allow.
“We will follow in the footsteps of King Dinuzulu and forge ahead with unifying our nation. We must and we will resist and defeat the merchants of destruction that are in our midst, just as King Dinuzulu did,” said Ramaphosa.
He said they will arrest anyone who is involved in violence. They are keeping a close eye on what was happening in the country and will not allow any violence.
South Africa has no place for people who are fomenting violence. They want the laws of the land to be respected.
Meanwhile KwaZulu-Natal Economic Development MEC Siboniso Duma, who is also the ANC provincial chairperson, displayed open defiance of the Zulu nation’s prime minister Thulasizwe Buthelezi when he grabbed the mic from him as he was speaking.
The incident happened during the 110th anniversary celebration of the late Zulu King Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo.
Earlier Duma had protested against the King’s Imbongi (poet) decision that Buthelezi should introduce the King before His Majesty could address the crowd.
“Protocol dictatates that the prime minister should usher in the King as the prime minister was given that job by the King,” the Imbongi could be heard saying.
However, when Buthelezi started speaking and mentioned the name of ANC provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo, Duma stood up and grabbed the mic from the prime minister.
Buthelezi, who is also the IFP Mayor of the Zululand District Municipality, was appointed by the Zulu King in January to replace the late Zulu nation prime minister Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who died in September.