* An earlier version of this story ran an incorrect quote attributed to Western Cape Premier Helen Zille. The error is regretted.
Cape Town – Western Cape Premier Helen Zille says the majority of people who commit serious crime against black people in the province are not white.
This came out as Zille was responding to questions at the Provincial Legislature on Thursday on the issue around high rates of racism in the province since she took over as leader.
ANC leader in the legislature, Khaya Magaxa asked the premier to comment on his assertions that ‘right-wing extremists including high levels of racisms have intensified in the province’.
A clearly exasperated Zille first refused to respond saying the rules of the house clearly stipulated that she does not have to give a response to questions that required that she give an opinion.
But minutes later she hit back by saying: “The ANC has been running a major campaign with a secretly funded war room to brand the Western Cape as racist because they can’t stand the fact that we are running a better government.”
Magaxa then followed up with a question requesting the premier to explain what he referred to as ongoing verbal and physical abuse on back people as well as the acts of vandalism to places of worship, including mosques.
This after a bloodied big snout was left at a Simon’s Town mosque in January this year, followed by the splattering of blood and destruction of holy books at another mosque just days later caused outrage in the province.
“As far as I am aware the person who desecrated a mosque has not been identified so I don’t know why the honourable Magaxa is speculating about the race of that person, it could be anyone, making an assumption about the race of that is completely outrageous,” she said.
“If we are to do a racial breakdown in terms of assaults and murders in terms of victims and perpetrators, I think you will find that a majority of murders and assaults in this province are not perpetrated by white people against black people.”