ANC calls for public debate on racism

Cape Town-150705-Charlotte Heynes [Deputy Secretary], Xolani Sotashe [ANC Chairperson of the region] & Joseph Thee [Deputy Chair] at a press conference held at Sahara House, Cape Town, discussing ANC plans ahead of the 2016 elections. Reporter: Gadijah, Photo: Ross Jansen

Cape Town-150705-Charlotte Heynes [Deputy Secretary], Xolani Sotashe [ANC Chairperson of the region] & Joseph Thee [Deputy Chair] at a press conference held at Sahara House, Cape Town, discussing ANC plans ahead of the 2016 elections. Reporter: Gadijah, Photo: Ross Jansen

Published Jul 6, 2015

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Cape Town - ANC chief whip Xolani Sotashe has labelled the DA as “racist and corrupt”.

Speaking at Regional Executive Committee press briefing in the city on Sunday, he said: “(Mayor) Patricia de Lille is sugar coating (the racism issue), by not speaking about it in Cape Town. Why don’t we have a public debate on racism?”

When asked how the ANC deals with corruption within the party, Sotashe said: “The ANC speaks openly about corruption, it’s not like we don’t speak about corruption in the ANC, we are just aggressively looking at racism.”

Sotashe said the DA’s service delivery in the province had also failed. As a result, the ANC plans on conducting their own service delivery audit in a bid to apply pressure on the DA – even if it means “roping in the national government”.

He also outlined the ANC’s plans to win the Western Cape in the 2016 local government elections.

“The poorest of the poor (are suffering), we must guard against it jealously. We must connect with NGOs, religious organisations and informal settlements. Even in those white communities we will be making inroads,” he said.

He added that the ANC government must apply pressure on the DA to give the opposition party a “run for their money”.

De Lille, leader of the DA in the Western Cape, replied to the accusations of racism and corruption in her party by saying Sotashe was mistaking the DA for the ANC.

“Things like racism, corruption and service delivery issues are rife in the ANC-run municipalities,” she said.

She called the ANC “lazy” because: “They failed to hold the DA accountable, they don’t read their budgets or the minutes to their meetings and are ill-prepared.”

She said the ANC should get their own house in order before pointing fingers at the DA.

“The DA spent 67 percent of our budget in poor areas.

“We had clean audits for the past two financial years and we have received awards for housing delivery from the national government.”

De Lille said she does not have to go to extreme lengths to hold onto her municipality. “Our plans are easy, we plan to deliver, spending on the poor people in the Western Cape.

“We will concentrate on speeding up service delivery while the ANC concentrates on race.”

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Cape Argus

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