Durban – The African Democratic Change (ADeC) will be hosting a motorcade in Phoenix, north of Durban on Saturday, in recognition of those who were locked up without bail following the violence that broke out in the area during the July unrest.
ADeC members, including party leader Visvin Reddy will start the motorcade at the Gandhi Luthuli Park and make their way east, towards the SAPS in Phoenix where they will hand over a memorandum to the station commander.
Racial tensions in Phoenix were heightened during the unrest, which resulted in the deaths of 30 people in the area. Riots broke out in July in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal leading to deaths and destruction of businesses and infrastructure.
Reddy said on Friday ahead of the party’s Heritage Day celebration that the racial utterances by a few politically connected individuals have put a stain on the people of Phoenix and caused a further divide between the nation.
“Why are political parties silent and not taking action against its members who incite racial tensions? The recent case is the utterances of ANC youth league members Jackie Shandu and Bonginkosi Khanyile who made racist utterances against minority communities of South Africa. Both continue with their divisive behaviour and utterances which further divides our nation.
“The people of Phoenix in Durban are still reeling from shock at the attacks on them by some leaders of political parties who labelled them racist because of the criminal actions of a few. And today you expect the people of Phoenix to celebrate our oneness?” Reddy said.
Reddy said that the Heritage Day celebration was shunned by the actions of some political leaders, primarily from the ANC and EFF.
The former ANC and DA member said the government’s obsession with racial quotas had left many qualified young minorities unable to find employment.
“Twenty seven years into democracy, ANC and EFF leaders are fuelling racial tensions by stereotyping communities. The entire South African Indian, coloured and white community are labelled as racist because of the criminal actions of a few.
“The same applies to other minority communities in this country. The politicians are obsessed with race and use it to divide communities. No different from what the apartheid government did,” the ADeC leader said.
Political Bureau