NEWS & MEDIA

Statement by President Thabo Mbeki on Bomb Explosions

President Thabo Mbeki, speaking at a media conference today (30 Oct) in Cape Town to mark the State Visit of the Greek President, appealed to South Africans to stay calm in the wake of the bomb explosions earlier in the day.

He expressed condolences with the relatives of the woman who was killed in the explosions and wished her husband, who was in stable condition in hospital, a speedy recovery. President Mbeki said he had full confidence in the ability of the SA security system and that the perpetrators of violence would be brought to book.

Although not blaming the racist right wing directly, President Mbeki said that information the security forces had gathered about a handful of people was that they intended to conduct a campaign to destabilize the country, increase a sense of uncertainty and create a climate for political change with bolder actions.

The actions this morning, he said, were consistent with the information the security forces had gathered about the actions of certain people who had intended to introduce a terrorist campaign in the country.
He said it was important to understand that the handful of people responsible for the bombings were a common enemy of all South Africans, black and white, and that they would certainly fail in their efforts to intimidate millions of people.

Inquiries: Bheki Khumalo, cellular 083 256 9133
Colin Cruywagen, cellular 082 377 9916

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