Johannesburg - DA leader Mmusi Maimane used his party’s final rally before Wednesday’s local government elections to tear into President Jacob Zuma and the ANC’s betrayal of its former leaders.
Maimane told thousands of his supporters Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto on Saturday that people shouldn’t be surprised by the ANC’s poor governing history as the country was warned by the ANC’s own former leaders Chris Hani and Nelson Mandela of what the governing party would become.
In a move that might upset the ANC even more after the party criticised the DA for using the former president’s name to campaign for votes, Maimane said that Hani could tell that the ANC would only enrich itself.
“I think Chris Hani foresaw that Jacob Zuma would emerge as an elitist who drives around in a fancy car and lives in a palace using tax payers’ money,” said Maimane, followed by cheers from the audience.
He also said Mandela had warned ANC members to keep their party in check.
Pics: DA vows to root out corruption
“As Madiba said ‘if the ANC does to you what the apartheid government did to you, then you must do to the ANC what you did to the Apartheid government’.”
He also said that black people’s lives have only become worse because the ANC looked after its own and had turned its back on everyone.
“You were all warned this would happen. Under Zuma the ANC is dividing the people in this country on the basis of race. He governs as though black people and black lives don’t matter,” said Maimane.
He remained confident that the DA would win all the metros it has targeted - Joburg, Tshwane, Nelson Mandela Bay and Cape Town.
In an attempt to woo local voters in Soweto – an ANC stronghold and the former home of Maimane, he also spent a great deal of time mentioning the places around the area where he used to play when he was younger.
The ANC and EFF will be hosting their final rallies on Sunday.
Elections Bureau