Recent incidents of looting that have rocked different parts of Durban including Umlazi, KwaMashu and Isipingo needs to be viewed as more than just acts of criminal opportunism.
“Social exclusion and the breakdown of law and order could have spurred looters to disregard social norms. When people are hungry and feel ignored by government, they will resort to any means to feed themselves and their families. As the IFP we do not condone any form of lawlessness and violence and therefore appeal to all our citizens to refrain from any form of criminal activity. People should rather direct their frustrations at working to replace those in government structures that are failing them. As the 2016 local government elections approach, citizens must evaluate the performance of mayors and councillors and remove them if they have not delivered on election promises”, said IFP National Chairman, Mr Blessed Gwala MPL.
“Many of the people involved in the looting are those who are unemployed and will seize any opportunity to make some money. These are people who are prepared to work but government is not creating job opportunities especially for our youth who are now becoming restless. This situation is a ticking time bomb that needs to be defused immediately if we are to avert social upheaval that will prove to be damaging to our country as a whole. Our hard-fought for democracy is at threat and it call for responsible and visionary leadership to set South Africa on a road to social cohesion and economic growth. We call on all NGO’s and faith based organisations to take the lead in engaging communities on moral values and tolerance”, concluded Mr Gwala.
