Political parties react to President Ramaphosa’s announcement on lootings and violence in Gauteng, KZN

There has been mixed reaction to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement that authorities are on the hunt for those who fostered the mass looting and violence that hit Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

The leader of the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) Pieter Groenewald says those responsible for the unrest should face sedition and other charges.

He says South Africa must learn necessary lessons from the looting and violence – especially the need for development and upliftment of people in rural areas.

Groenewald says the intelligence services failed the country and the President in warning of the possibility of the violence.

Meanwhile, the EFF has been very critical of the President saying he was short on details about the economic interventions that will be made to help South Africa recover from the massive looting and violence that hit Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

TRUST IS CRUCIAL

The EFF’s Sinawo Tambo says government must work more closely with communities and earn their trust to assist in the recovery from the unrest.

Tambo says the barricading of certain areas and the exclusion of black people from those areas is unacceptable and should not be allowed.

He says the EFF is firmly against vigilantism – especially directed at people because of the colour of their skin.

The SACP’s Alex Mashilo has described those who fomented the unrest as “counter-revolutionaries”.

Mashilo has welcomed President Ramaphosa’s admission that government would be reviewing its failures in preventing and managing the situation.

The SACP leader says the security cluster of ministers need to be put under the spotlight.

HEADS MUST ROLL

Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen has welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s acknowledgement that there were failures in policing and intelligence to counter the looting and violence that has hit Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

Steenhuisen says the Police and Intelligence Ministers need to be axed.

The DA has praised President Ramaphosa for meeting with opposition leaders and listening to the recommendations they made.

UDM leader Bantu Holomisa says the troops deployed to assist the police in quelling the looting and violence have done a sterling job.

However, Holomisa says it is not yet clear if the country has escaped from the threat of massive social unrest or an attempt to force a change in government.