KZN political violence commission findings must be publicised - SACP

National 15.11.2016 07:04 pm

ANA

FILE PICTURE: SACP KwaZulu-Natal provincial secretary Themba Mthembu with Provincial deputy chairperson Dolly Caluza addressing a press conference at the Coastlands hotel in Durban. Picture Phumlani Thabethe Date 8 September 2014

The SACP made this call, saying it was in the public's interest to know the findings from the commission.

The findings of a recently established Commission of Inquiry into political violence must be made public, the South African Communist Party urged on Tuesday.

The SACP's provincial secretary, Themba Mthembu said that the SACP had been the first to call for the commission and welcomed its establishment

Mthembu, speaking at a press conference in Durban, said that the party would have preferred there to be more consultation in the formation of the Commission of Inquiry, but was happy that it had been established.

Two of the party's members were killed in the run-up to the August local government and another member was killed barely weeks afterwards.

All three were killed in the Inchanga area in which SACP members clashed with members of its alliance partner, the African National Congress.

Any findings of the inquiry, he said, should be made public.

"We would like to see the findings of this commission of inquiry made public and any commission of inquiry of the government should be made public because they are of public interest. It is not for internal consumption by the leaders or officials of the government. It is for the public."

He said that the party would also like to see the findings of past commissions of inquiry to be made public.

The full report of the Commission of Inquiry into the deaths of eight people, who died during Road Traffic Inspectorate recruitment drive fitness test, has never been released and neither have the findings of Commission of Inquiry investigating the allegations of corruption by former head of the KwaZulu-Natal health department ever been released.

KwaZulu-Natal premier Willies Mchunu and the ANC's provincial secretary Super Zuma, at a press conference on Monday, declined to commit to the commission's findings or its quarterly reports being made public.

Mthembu said that while there had been a recent Alliance Summit to resolve difference between the various alliance partners - the SACP, the Congress of SA Trade Unions, the SA National Civics Organisation and the ANC - the SACP was "disappointed by the marginalisation or non-consideration of Alliance partners. But the bigger disappointment was the disregard for areas like Inchanga where a number of people had died due to the political conflict".

The press conference was being held after a meeting of the SACP's Moses Mabhida (KwaZulu-Natal)Provincial Executive Committee (PEC), on Sunday.