SOUTH African Communist Party national deputy chairman Thulas Nxesi lamented the media and opposition Democratic Alliance for using assassinated SACP leader Chris Hani’s name to “demonise” the current tripartite alliance leadership.
Speaking at a gala dinner hosted by the Transformation and Development Trust to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Hani’s assassination at East London’s Regent Hotel, Nxesi said denying the legacy of apartheid was an attempt by liberals and the DA to sweep the legacy of apartheid under the carpet.
Adding his voice to the ongoing debate about the legacy of apartheid, Nxesi said “apartheid denialists” were “opportunists” whose aim was to demonise black politicians.
Nxesi lashed out at the DA, which he said was quick to paint successful black business people as corrupt while keeping mum about corruption involving white business.
Quoting communist philosopher Karl Marx, Nxesi said the DA was using ideology to advance the capitalist class at the expense of black people by using black people’s history.
“Marx said the class struggle is also an ideological struggle. Nowhere is this more apparent than in relation to our own history. When Mandela was president, the likes of Louis Luyt were dragging him to court, but when he retired, all of a sudden Madiba was a hero,” Nxesi said.
“Whites said Chris Hani was going to destabilise the negotiations, but all of a sudden now they are praising him as a posthumous critic of the present leadership. Thabo Mbeki was a monster to the media, but now suddenly he is a better leader than Jacob Zuma. The DA is using our own history so they get the vote of the young ones and we fall into that trap.”
Nxesi, who is also the Public Works Minister, told the audience which included black contractors and architects, ANC Women’s League president Angie Motshekga and ANC Eastern Cape chairman Phumulo Masualle, that apartheid was still reflected in the advancement of black business people.
“There are 400 huge cases of collusion. It’s worse in the construction industry where there is collusion involving big white-owned construction companies. Did the DA ever speak about corruption in the construction industry? They didn’t because it involved white people and affecting big capital,” he said to applause.
Nxesi said fraud, corruption and collusion in the construction industry was designed to restrict competition and hampers the advancement of black contractors, leaving them to “scramble for crumbs”.
He said the rollout of government’s infrastructure programme must support transformation.
This follows a week in which National Planning Minister Trevor Manuel and President Jacob Zuma apparently contradicted each other on the legacy of apartheid. Zuma’s spokesman Mac Maharaj denied there was a contradiction. Former National Party leader FW de Klerk entered the fray, saying apartheid cannot be blamed for today’s failures. —
Don’t deny apartheid legacy, says minister
Speaking at a gala dinner hosted by the Transformation and Development Trust to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Hani’s assassination at East London’s Regent Hotel, Nxesi said denying the legacy of apartheid was an attempt by liberals and the DA to sweep the legacy of apartheid under the carpet.
Adding his voice to the ongoing debate about the legacy of apartheid, Nxesi said “apartheid denialists” were “opportunists” whose aim was to demonise black politicians.
Nxesi lashed out at the DA, which he said was quick to paint successful black business people as corrupt while keeping mum about corruption involving white business.
Quoting communist philosopher Karl Marx, Nxesi said the DA was using ideology to advance the capitalist class at the expense of black people by using black people’s history.
“Marx said the class struggle is also an ideological struggle. Nowhere is this more apparent than in relation to our own history. When Mandela was president, the likes of Louis Luyt were dragging him to court, but when he retired, all of a sudden Madiba was a hero,” Nxesi said.
“Whites said Chris Hani was going to destabilise the negotiations, but all of a sudden now they are praising him as a posthumous critic of the present leadership. Thabo Mbeki was a monster to the media, but now suddenly he is a better leader than Jacob Zuma. The DA is using our own history so they get the vote of the young ones and we fall into that trap.”
Nxesi, who is also the Public Works Minister, told the audience which included black contractors and architects, ANC Women’s League president Angie Motshekga and ANC Eastern Cape chairman Phumulo Masualle, that apartheid was still reflected in the advancement of black business people.
“There are 400 huge cases of collusion. It’s worse in the construction industry where there is collusion involving big white-owned construction companies. Did the DA ever speak about corruption in the construction industry? They didn’t because it involved white people and affecting big capital,” he said to applause.
Nxesi said fraud, corruption and collusion in the construction industry was designed to restrict competition and hampers the advancement of black contractors, leaving them to “scramble for crumbs”.
He said the rollout of government’s infrastructure programme must support transformation.
This follows a week in which National Planning Minister Trevor Manuel and President Jacob Zuma apparently contradicted each other on the legacy of apartheid. Zuma’s spokesman Mac Maharaj denied there was a contradiction. Former National Party leader FW de Klerk entered the fray, saying apartheid cannot be blamed for today’s failures. —
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