Trade union federation Cosatu said it has welcomed the intervention by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to deal with incitement of violence ahead of the May elections.
uMkhonto we Sizwe Party member Visvin Reddy appeared in court on Wednesday on a charge of contravening Section 17 of the Riotous Assemblies Act related to allegations that he incited public violence.
Former African Democratic Change leader Reddy last month threatened civil war should his party not make it onto the ballot paper while also demanding that the ANC should drop its court cases against MKP.
Concern was raised over a video posted on social media showing Reddy, taking aim at the ANC and the judiciary over the legal battle over the MK trademark.
In the video, Reddy said that the courts were being used to stop the MK party.
"We are sending a loud and clear message that if these courts, which are sometimes captured, if they stop MK then there will be anarchy in this country...there will be riots like you have never seen in this country...there will be no elections...no South African will go to the polls if MK is not on the ballot," said Reddy a former member of the Minority Front, ANC and DA.
Cosatu spokesperson Matthew Parks said the charging and court appearance of Reddy was welcomed.
“It is critical a zero-tolerance approach be maintained by government towards any parties, representatives or persons who in any form seek to incite violence or intimidation in the run up to the elections.
“In particular we expect the NPA, the South African Police Service (SAPS), the courts including the Electoral Court and the Independent Electoral Commission to be ruthlessly efficient in this regard.”
Parks said the country faces many challenges but ‘ we cannot afford to add threats to add political violence or attempts to undermine the running of our elections or the integrity of the IEC to them’.
“The Electoral Court and the IEC must wield the powers allocated to them by the Electoral Act to penalise any party and candidate who fails to abide by the law, including disqualifying such culprits from taking a seat in Parliament or a Provincial Legislature,” Parks said.
The Mercury