Lungani Zungu
Angry residents have issued a stern warning to political parties not to take advantage of the racial tensions between Indians and Blacks in Phoenix to improve their political standings.
On Thursday, EFF members, led by EFF secretary-general Marshall Dlamini, marched to the local Phoenix police station to demand what it called, ‘Justice For The Victims of the Phoenix Massacre.’
The EFF members sang war songs and carried sticks and shields as they marched to the police station where speaker after speaker took turns to attack the ruling-ANC.
But residents are not that convinced about the motives of the political parties.
Inanda resident Musa Sibisi said politicians intervened in the Phoenix matter to serve their own agendas.
His township borders Phoenix and was one of those affected by the tensions as some of the people he knew were allegedly killed in Phoenix.
“All the parties who have been holding marches in Phoenix are doing that for themselves and not the people on the ground,” said Sibisi, who is part of a peace committee set up to quell tensions in Phoenix.
“We have said before that we are fighting to end the tensions but it becomes a problem when political parties want to hijack this for their own gains,” he said.
Resident, Martin Naidoo, agreed.
“What happened here in Phoenix is really unfortunate and it becomes a bigger problem when formations like political parties stoke the fire,” said Naidoo.
He agreed that the people who killed others must be arrested and sentenced.
“We can’t live in a place where some people have slaughtered other people because of the colour of their skin,” he said.
The ANC and IFP were among the parties that have held marches in Phoenix where, officially, 36 people have died.
