DA challenges ANC to debate it's 'racist' billboard on unemployment
The Democratic Alliance is challenging the ANC to a debate on jobs and economy following the ruling party’s description of a DA billboard as racist. “ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa’s remarks following the launch of our jobs campaign and billboard on Thursday are very telling of a party that has no plans to create jobs and grow the economy‚” Phumzile Van Damme‚ spokesperson for the DA‚ said on Friday.She said Kodwa had chosen to pull the race card rather than “intellectually engaging with the content of our billboard and jobs campaign”.The billboard‚ which shows President Jacob Zuma’s face‚ has a ticker that starts at 1‚842‚852 and goes up by one every 112 seconds to show that a total of 774 people become jobless in every 24-hour cycle. Van Damme said the billboard contains “uncomfortable truths” for the ANC about unemployment and in response the ANC “chose cry wolf and claim racism”. She slammed the use of racism to score cheap political points‚ describing it as an insult to the millions of South Africans who experience racism on a daily basis. This reaction‚ Van Damme said‚ serves to further divide the country and enables the ANC avoid being accountable. “To prove that the ANC has no plans to arrest the decline in employment … I challenge Mr Kodwa to a public debate” on how the unemployment can be addressed...
There’s never been a more important time to support independent media.
From World War 1 to present-day cosmopolitan South Africa and beyond, the Sunday Times has been a pillar in covering the stories that matter to you.
For just R80 you can become a premium member (digital access) and support a publication that has played an important political and social role in South Africa for over a century of Sundays. You can cancel anytime.
Already subscribed? Sign in below.
Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@timeslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.