Mmusi Maimane tells Jacob Zuma that his ‘lifestyle is coming to an end’

30 June 2016 - 17:19 By Genevieve Quintal

It is not only President Jacob Zuma who must fall but the whole of the African National Congress‚ opposition Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane said on Thursday.Maimane was speaking in the Johannesburg CBD at the unveiling his party’s new “Jobs Not Jets” billboard.The DA believes that government would be wasting money if it makes good on its intention to buy the president a new jet for R4 billion. The party has launched a petition against the purchase of the new presidential jet. “Jacob Zuma does not need another jet. We want jobs‚ not jets‚” Maimane told supporters dressed in blue DA shirts standing on Lilian Ngoyi Street.“That message doesn’t get through to Jacob Zuma‚ it doesn’t get through to the ANC.”The crowd chanted: “We want jobs not jets!”The DA claimed that when it was erecting the billboard on Wednesday night a group of self-proclaimed ANC supporters attacked them and threw rocks. The billboard reads: “Taking R246 million of your money for his house wasn’t enough. Now Zuma wants to take R4 billion more for a jet. Vote for jobs‚ not jets.”Maimane told supporters that there were other countries that had more money than SA that did not spend money on jets for their presidents.“Bra JZ I’m here to send a simple message‚ your lifestyle is coming to an end. “We have done an audit on your lifestyle and you have been found wanting‚” he told the cheering crowd.Maimane was accompanied by the DA’s mayoral candidates in Gauteng Herman Mashaba‚ Solly Msimanga‚ Ghaleb Cachalia and Bongani Baloyi.Following the unveiling of the billboard‚ Maimane and party leaders walked to Luthuli House to hand over a memorandum to the ANC‚ but were chased away by staff and security. Someone from the ANC did accept the memorandum‚ however.Standing on a side street outside Luthuli House‚ ANC staff continued to shout at the DA delegation‚ forcing them to move.“I fought this in Parliament‚ I fought it with the Ministry of Defence and now we are here because we want to send a message to the secretary-general of the ANC to say he must stop the procurement of the jet‚” Maimane told reporters outside the ruling party’s headquarters.“South Africans need jobs ... why is the ANC purchasing jets? Jacob Zuma before has said that he did not know about Nkandla‚ this one he knows about. R4bn. We must stop it now before we purchase it‚” he said...

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.