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The call from the Speaker of the National Assembly came after an angry crowd stormed Senekal Magistrates Court, where two men were appearing for the murder of the local farm manager, Brendan Horner.
FILE: The Speaker of the National Assembly Thandi Modise on June 11, 2019. Image: @ ParliamentofRSA / Twitter.
CAPE TOWN – National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise on Thursday urged parliamentarians to take action and help defuse racial tension in communities.
Modise’s call came after an angry crowd stormed Senekal’s Court of First Instance this week, where two men were appearing for the murder of local farm manager Brendan Horner.
A 52-year-old farmer was arrested Wednesday for his alleged involvement in state-owned arson and vandalism after a police vehicle was overturned and set on fire.
Modise said that racial tensions cannot be allowed to escalate and asked public representatives to be alert to what is happening in cities and rural areas.
“Honorable Members, we cannot allow racial tensions to escalate. We really, really owe it to this country to be the people who moderate high feelings, [who] give direction, smooth things over and give explanations, “he said.
Modise said that public representatives must “be vigilant.”
“I don’t think what is starting to happen in this country is good, I don’t think any of us want to see an escalation of racial tensions. So we started to really pray and fight for South Africa, and for South Africa to survive with all these things.
Modise was speaking at a meeting of the National Assembly’s programming committee.
Police have been criticized for failing to act during riots in Senekal court this week.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have indicated that they would be present when the two men arrested in connection with Horner’s murder reappear in court next week.
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