The national leadership of the African National Congress (ANC) is extremely disturbed about the reports we have received of at least two instances on which the leadership of the United Democratic Movement (UDM) were prevented from holding election meetings at two campuses during the course of this week.
On Wednesday 26 May, Mr Bantu Holomisa, President of the UDM arrived at the campus of Fort Hare University, outside Alice in the Eastern Cape. An unruly crowd of students, divided between supporters of the ANC and the UDM, created an untenable situation which could have degenerated into a confrontation.
Mr Bantu Holomisa was consequently unable to proceed with his meeting.
Reports received during the course of today indicate that at the University of the Western Cape, a lunch time meeting scheduled to be addressed by Messrs Bantu Holomisa and Roelf Meyer, was disrupted by a crowd of students purporting to be supporters of the ANC. On that occasion as well the leaders of the UDM were unable to hold their meeting.
The African National Congress condemns these instances of political intolerance and political hooliganism in the strongest terms and wishes to dissociate itself from the actions of these purported supporters.
As a movement the ANC has adopted a code of conduct for these and all other electoral contests, which we have required all ANC structures and members to abide by. Those who act contrary to the letter and the spirit of that code of conduct, by such actions, cast themselves beyond the pale of ANC membership and supporters.
Whatever the intention of these students, their hooliganism has prevented the UDM leadership from exercising their right to communicate with potential voters. Their rash actions subvert the democratic process.
Not only do their actions compromise our fledgling democracy, they also bring the movement they purport to support into disrepute. The ANC calls upon both groups of students to apologise, unreservedly to Messrs Holomisa and Meyer and give firm undertakings that they will desist from any such future actions.
Issued by African National Congress
Election Media Centre
Braamfontein
27 May 1999