Cape Town - Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande has accused the Democratic Alliance of trying to rewrite history concerning the ANC's contribution towards democracy, warning students not to fall for the revision of stories the party portrayed about South Africans, particularly black people.
Addressing students at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) about the role that youth played in voting, Nzimande urged them to get involved in student politics as a way to tackle issues affecting them.
“We need the youth’s energy to do well in the upcoming elections,” Nzimande said to warm cheers from the students.
Nzimande, who grew up in a mud house, praised the ANC for supplying electricity to rural areas, saying that he never knew that it was possible for a mud house to have electricity, until the ANC did it.
Nzimande, who is also general secretary of the SA Communist Party (SACP), said that the DA tried to rewrite the stories of South Africans, mainly black people, about the contribution that was made by the ANC in achieving democracy.
“It’s important to tell our own history so that we know where the ANC comes from and where our struggles come from.”
On the issue of education, Nzimande said that the Western Cape was the only province that did not send clever students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds to study medicine in Cuba, stating that “they just do not care”.
He emphasised the participation of the youth in building a better society and future for all.
“I am convinced that if young people work hard enough, the ANC could reclaim the city. Use that energy as part of the revolution.”
Election Bureau