LOUIS TRICHARDT – "I will send my ancestors to Iraq in order to tell the American President George W Bush to stop the war against Iraq and if he ignores them, he will become mad, and should he kill Saddam Hussein, he will never rule Iraq" said Mr Mbulaheni Neluvhola, president of Mbofho Traditional Healers, during a march against war in Iraq in Louis Trichardt last Friday.

The march that was organised by the Muslim Community of Eltivillas and the Mbofho Traditional Healers, started at the corner of the N1 and Songozwi Street and proceeded to the Civic Centre, where a memorandum was handed over to the Makhado Municipality.

Members of the Muslim community from Eltivillas and a few from the Mbofho Traditional Healers, shouted anti-American slogans during the march. The well-known "Minister of Blankets", Cllr Amie Chhaya on behalf of the Muslim community said that their main purpose was to emphasise the fact that innocent civilians are getting killed on a daily basis. "The coalition (Bush and Blair) must stop attacking Iraq now," said a furious Chhaya. According to Chhaya, the Muslim Community in Eltivillas will keep on marching if Britain and America continued attacking Iraq.

"In my opinion the war is all about oil, nothing else, said Chhaya. The president of the Mbofho Traditional Healers, Mr Neluvhola said that Bush must repair all the damages his army has caused in Iraq, saying that he must also be arrested. "My ancestors told me that Bush would never rule in Iraq and he would be mad if he ignored their advice," elaborated Neluvhola.

He urged all African countries not to join the war saying that they must keep on abiding by the UN principles. "As a peace loving country, we must not expel the US ambassador, even though we are against what his country is doing to Iraq presently," he said.

Neluvhola urged all religions to unite and pray to stop the war on Iraq, adding that people must stop fighting over religion.

Cllr Moses Tseli, the Chief Whip of the Makhado Municipality received the memorandum from Mr Neluvhola and from Cllr Chhaya. In the memorandum the organisers condemned the war and asked for the immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq and that the USA must abide by the rules of the United Nations.

Cllr Moses Tseli, the Chief Whip of the Makhado Municipality received the memorandum from Mr Mbulaheni Neluvhola President of Mbofho traditional healers and from Cllr Amie Chhaya representing the Muslim Community.