DA’s ANC defectors to give insight on ruling party’s ‘dangerous racial mobilisation’

22 July 2016 - 11:32 By TMG Digital

The Democratic Alliance (DA) will on Friday wheel out three African National Congress (ANC) defectors to outline its response to the ruling party’s “dangerous racial mobilisation ahead of the August 3 poll”.

The strategy will be presented by the DA’s mayoral candidate for Ekurhuleni‚ Ghaleb Cachalia‚ who will be joined by Lindela Tshwete and Madoda Mbeki – councillor candidates for Cape Town and the Eastern Cape’s Mnquma Municipality respectively.“All three candidates have left the ANC because it has changed‚” a DA statement said.“It is more interested in dividing‚ than uniting South Africans. The ANC is no longer the party of Nelson Mandela.“The briefing will include the personal journey of each of the candidates that led them to joining the DA‚ and give insight into what the ANC of today has become.”The ANC’s “racial mobilisation” was first raised on Thursday by DA leader Mmusi Maimane.He said comments by President Jacob Zuma show that the ruling party’s “election campaign‚ as evidenced by the comments made by Zuma last week and today‚ has now descended into all-out racial mobilisation”.“This must be seen for what it is: a last-ditch‚ desperate attempt to cling onto power at all costs‚ because the party faces losing major metros to the DA on 3 August 2016‚” Maimane added.Zuma was quoted as telling supporters in Tembisa on Wednesday: “Where does a black man get the nerve to team up with oppressors of his people‚ even to an extent where he decides to lead them? When you see the DA‚ just know that they are our oppressors.”Maimane said this type of comment showed that the “ANC has effectively thrown in the towel on competing on different plans for local government”.“Jacob Zuma’s remarks today have left me‚ as I am sure many other proud South Africans‚ saddened and deeply concerned‚” he said‚ adding that they are “an affront to so many South Africans‚ including those within the ANC itself‚ who fought and died for a free South Africa; one that belongs to all who live in it”.“My commitment to South Africans today in the face of this dangerous rhetoric by the President is that the DA will never give up on realising Madiba’s vision for our country.” – TMG Digital..

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