BLOCKING roads with stones, burning tyres and ANC offices, sit-ins, burning the ANC flag and T-shirts with the faces of Jacob Zuma or Thabo Mbeki, trashing streets and murdering ANC comrades are new tendencies in the Alliance.

Thembelihle, Lenasia, riots, ANC Youth League mayhem, Samwu trashing streets, violent and barbaric closure of hospitals and schools during the public servants strike and the continued solving of ANC problems with a gun rather than debate indicate a society, and specifically the ANC, that is morally sick.

The ANC councilor in Thembelihle had to speak to people from a police Casspir and angry residents burnt councillors' property. Mcebisi Skwatsha was stabbed at an ANC meeting. Mbeki, Zuma, Zweli Mkhize and Blade Nzimande were heckled by their own supporters. Sbu Ndebele had a plastic bottle full of urine thrown at him.

Debates and peaceful protests are no longer part of our conflict resolution discourse. JZ called Mbeki and the IFP "dead snakes". A snake is always killed and has been people's enemy since genesis. Whenever Cosatu doesn' t get its way , it screams: "There wi ll be blood..."

These violent words were first uttered by KwaZulu-Natal's Cosatu provincial secretary Zeth Luzipho after the NPA charged Zuma with corruption, tax evasion, money laundering and racketeering.

The ANCYL anarchy during Julius Malema's hearing is learnt behaviour . Singling out the league as violent is selective amnesia by media and the ANC. Thembelihle and the ANCYL did what Cosatu does better and the ANC does best.

- Noble Pillay and Nozintombi Mkhwanazi, Sasco members, UKZN, Pietermaritzburg