THE ANC in the Eastern Cape has lambasted the opposition Democratic Alliance for its election campaign document, which it says portrays the ruling party as being no different to the apartheid government.
The ANC is also at war with the DA over its use of a picture of ailing former statesman Nelson Mandela embracing activist Helen Suzman a few years ago in their campaign pamphlet.
The picture, captioned “We played our part in opposing apartheid”, was recently published nationally as part of the opposition party’s election strategy.
The campaign was launched in Gauteng last week, a few months ahead of next year’s national polls.
ANC provincial spokesman Mlibo Qoboshiyane yesterday said the DA’s planned campaign, which he described as an “evil smear campaign”, would not fool anyone.
In its campaign document, the DA likened the recent Marikana massacre where more than 30 people were killed by police to the 1960 Sharpeville massacre where more than 60 peaceful marchers were gunned down by apartheid police.
It also makes a controversial visual comparison between two people at the hands of riot police: the iconic image of student Hector Pieterson’s dead body during the 1976 Soweto uprising and that of Ficksburg activist Andries Tatane, 35 years later.
The DA document also accuses the ANC of borrowing from the NP rulebook, using legislation to suppress the freedom given by the Constitution to prevent criticism and block transparent government.
Qoboshiyane yesterday said only “a clever by half person” would ever liken the ANC to the “evil” nationalist party government.
“The DA’s ill-conceived campaign will surely be dead on arrival because black people know the truth behind its evil conception.
Qoboshiyane said the campaign was an act of desperation to destroy the ANC’s reputation .
In a statement released on Sunday, DA leader Helen Zille said it was predictable that the ANC would respond to the campaign “with a storm of fury and denunciation”.
“ They have accused the DA of ‘stealing’ Mandela. Because the ruling party wants to own the history of the struggle against apartheid, it is quick to downplay, deny, and even appropriate the contributions of those outside its fold ,” Zille said. —
ANC hits back as DA likens it to NP
The ANC is also at war with the DA over its use of a picture of ailing former statesman Nelson Mandela embracing activist Helen Suzman a few years ago in their campaign pamphlet.
The picture, captioned “We played our part in opposing apartheid”, was recently published nationally as part of the opposition party’s election strategy.
The campaign was launched in Gauteng last week, a few months ahead of next year’s national polls.
ANC provincial spokesman Mlibo Qoboshiyane yesterday said the DA’s planned campaign, which he described as an “evil smear campaign”, would not fool anyone.
In its campaign document, the DA likened the recent Marikana massacre where more than 30 people were killed by police to the 1960 Sharpeville massacre where more than 60 peaceful marchers were gunned down by apartheid police.
It also makes a controversial visual comparison between two people at the hands of riot police: the iconic image of student Hector Pieterson’s dead body during the 1976 Soweto uprising and that of Ficksburg activist Andries Tatane, 35 years later.
The DA document also accuses the ANC of borrowing from the NP rulebook, using legislation to suppress the freedom given by the Constitution to prevent criticism and block transparent government.
Qoboshiyane yesterday said only “a clever by half person” would ever liken the ANC to the “evil” nationalist party government.
“The DA’s ill-conceived campaign will surely be dead on arrival because black people know the truth behind its evil conception.
Qoboshiyane said the campaign was an act of desperation to destroy the ANC’s reputation .
In a statement released on Sunday, DA leader Helen Zille said it was predictable that the ANC would respond to the campaign “with a storm of fury and denunciation”.
“ They have accused the DA of ‘stealing’ Mandela. Because the ruling party wants to own the history of the struggle against apartheid, it is quick to downplay, deny, and even appropriate the contributions of those outside its fold ,” Zille said. —
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