All politicians corrupt, woman tells Zille

Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille encounters a lone ANC supporter (L) in Wentworth while campaigning for the forthcoming election in a number of suburbs in Durban on Saturday, 5 April 2014. Zille offered to give her a blue T-shirt, but the jovial Barbara Martinus declined saying that all politicians were corrupt. Picture: Giordano Stolley/SAPA

Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille encounters a lone ANC supporter (L) in Wentworth while campaigning for the forthcoming election in a number of suburbs in Durban on Saturday, 5 April 2014. Zille offered to give her a blue T-shirt, but the jovial Barbara Martinus declined saying that all politicians were corrupt. Picture: Giordano Stolley/SAPA

Published Apr 6, 2014

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Durban - A woman wearing a T-shirt of Jacob Zuma told Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille on Saturday that she would be voting for the ANC because they were corrupt.

Helen Zille was welcomed and applauded by supporters in a number of Durban suburbs she visited as part of the party's 2014 national election campaign.

But it was in Wentworth where she encountered the lone ANC supporter wearing her shirt bearing President Jacob Zuma's image. Zille offered to give her a blue T-shirt, but the jovial Barbara Martinus declined saying that all politicians were corrupt.

Asked about encounter afterwards, Zille said: “One lady had on an ANC T-shirt and she was making a point about the ANC. So I said to her you are welcome to vote ANC if you want corruption. She said well if you can't beat them, join them. And I said are you joining the ANC so that you can also benefit from corruption and she basically said yes.”

Zille said she then told the woman that there would not “be any gravy for you” because only those at the top had benefited from corruption.

In Phoenix Zille welcomed three councillors from the Minority Front - the party previously led by Amichand Rajbansi - and a senior youth leader from the Congress of the People.

Zille said the defections were part of a wider trend of opposition consolidating around the DA. She declined to comment on how she felt the party would fare in the election.

“I am not going to predict the result. It will be more than last time. I'm not going to set a figure. There are lots of things happening in an election campaign, but I think people are sick of having their money stolen.”

In the Welbedacht area of Chatsworth she addressed members of an informal settlement which the DA claimed had not been provided with services, by the municipality.

She said believed the ANC ruled eThekwini Metro Municipality would soon address the issue of electricity as it feared votes being lost to the DA.

Zille was asked about Friday's court decision where the South Gauteng High Court ruled that an SMS the DA sent to over 1.5 million prospective Gauteng voters accusing Zuma of stealing public money was fair comment.

“My take on the Nkandla thing is what we said in the sms. And we believe the Nkandla report shows how Jacob Zuma stole peoples money for his own comfort and his own convenience. The court said that was fair comment. And I believe yes indeed it is fair comment.”

The country heads to the polls on May 7.

Sapa

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