Full statement by Western Cape ANC in response to Zille's apology
The full statement by the Western Cape ANC in response to Western Cape premier Helen Zille's apology for her controversial tweets on colonialism:
The DA fudging on Zille again - by ANC W/Cape secretary Faiez Jacobs
Zille's pro-colonialism remarks go to the heart of the DA's philosophy‚ policies and attitude to our people's history and their current marganalised existence. Preserving privilege and the ill-gotten gains of centuries of oppression and exploitation is the DA's priority. While they pay lip service to accepting and dealing with the dreadful legacy of slavery‚ colonialism and apartheid-poverty‚ unemployment and inequality - in reality they do nothing about it. This is because the core members of the party and the Black middle-class individuals it has recruited to front for it‚ don’t believe that slavery‚ colonialism and apartheid were “all bad”. The apology that Zille has given is clearly just a manouvere to try to get the DA out of the hole it has dug for itself. The apology is nothing more than a cynical face-saving strategy due to the polls indicating that they are losing black voters because of the party’s stance on race‚ racism and colonialism. Zille refused for three months to acknowledge that she deeply offended many black South Africans. Her ‘unreserved apology’ is thus disingenuous and an insult to all South Africans’ intelligence. The truth is that Zille realised that she would be kicked out as Premier of the Western Cape if she went the route of the party's disciplinary process and so decided to strike a deal with Maimane in which she remains in her position as Premier. Does the DA really expect South Africans to believe that it does not have confidence in Helen Zille to the extent that she has been banned from party activities but has confidence in her to lead a provincial government on its behalf?
This is not the first time Zille has been accused of sowing division through her tweets and utterances. Once again‚ like Kohler-Barnard‚ she is getting nothing more than a slap on the wrist. The reality is that Zille and the White cabal that supports her are untouchable. Her remarks about stepping aside for the current leader show that what this is announcement is really about is making Maimane look as if he is in charge. If he is in charge‚ he should fire her as Premier and expel her from the party for her callous‚ arrogant‚ insensitive and cruel utterances. The reality is that he cannot precisely because at the end of the day‚ he must do his masters bidding. Mmusi Maimane has compromised his leadership by allowing Helen Zille to undermine him in the way that she has. He has sold out the black people in his party and particularly in the Western Cape because she will continue to hold that attitude toward black people in the province. The constituency the DA is courting‚ Black South Africans‚ is highly disillusioned by the whole episode. The EFF‚ the partner to the DA in many local governments‚ must explain to its members how it can work with a party that keeps a racist‚ arrogant person as Premier of a province. The pursuit of power at all costs‚ with no principles guiding action‚ is a reactionary strategy.
The scandal around Zille's son is another example of her untouchability and of the DA’s institutionalised corruption. This is clearly a case of nepotism. The public protector must investigate this matter thoroughly. How is it possible that he didn't benefit from this deal‚ as she claims? Is he working for free? How is it possible that she did not know of his deal? Is she not in charge of the provincial administration? As with her stance on colonialism‚ she has been caught off-side and this time she should face more than an internal party disciplinary process. Helen Zille’s position as Premier of the Western Cape is now untenable and unsustainable. It is only a matter of time before she is again going to do something as Premier which is unacceptable. The ANC will continue to campaign for Zille to be removed as a Premier. Her attitude‚ revealed by this sorry saga‚ shows why the DA has failed to provide housing‚ plan for the water crisis‚ ensure safety of our communities from drugs and gangsterism. The ANC will be demonstrating outside the Western Cape Provincial Legislature on Thursday at 12 noon‚ to demand her removal as Premier.