Kimberley - The DA would grow the economy like never before to create jobs for more and more people, party leader Helen Zille said on Thursday.
“Our policies make it possible for entrepreneurs to grow,” she told a Democratic Alliance-organised Workers' Day rally in Kimberley.
Zille told the gathering to bring change to their communities by voting for the party during the national and provincial elections on May 7.
She said the governing African National Congress and President Jacob Zuma did not want change because it would threaten their power. Change threatened the ANC elite's contracts, tenders, and their Nkandlas - a reference to Zuma's KwaZulu-Natal homestead, which received a R246-million security upgrade.
Zille told Northern Cape residents her party had a mission to make life better in the province. She said “clean” government, such as in the Western Cape, would bring more opportunities.
“Every blue person must come out and vote. Keep to the blue, because blue stays true.”
She paid tribute to workers helping to build the country daily.
“Those working, tiling, in factories, teachers. We owe a lot to you.”
Cape Town executive mayor Patricia de Lille said many people wanted to make the Northern Cape blue, the DA's colour.
De Lille, introduced as the girl from between the Namaqualand daisies, said instead of celebrating May 1 as a day for people with jobs, it was more a case of workers without jobs under the ANC-led government.
“They say a better life. Only for a few people.
“The ANC was voted in, now there is a chance to vote the ANC out. There is no other way.”
She urged the gathering to use their votes to say no to the ANC.
“They came with food parcels. Do not sell your soul for food parcels.”
The DA's parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko said with the Congress of SA Trade Unions doing the ANC's bidding, only those with jobs had the ear of the governing party.
She said the ANC could only talk about temporary jobs.
“The ANC only tenders to those connected in the ANC.”
In another reference to Zuma's lavish Nkandla home, she told the gathering his cows and chickens lived better than the country's poor.
The band on the stage sang for every DA leader who came to the podium to make a speech. For Northern Cape DA leader Andrew Louw it sang “please Andrew come fetch me, please DA come fetch me”.
The gathering ended with the DA leaders dancing on stage. - Sapa