Parliament - President Jacob Zuma on Thursday distanced himself from his son’s controversial statements on foreigners as new Economic Freedom Fighters MP Nkasigang Mokgosi said it had incited murder and demanded he apologise to the nation on his son’s behalf.
“When are you going to take personal responsibility for the violence and apologise to the nation,” Mokgosi demanded in her first sitting of the National Council of Province, in which the president was answering questions.
She ignored a warning from chairwoman Thandi Modise that it was customary for new members to avoid “controversial” issues in their maiden appearance in the chamber, and went on to accuse Zuma of protecting somebody whose “misguided” remarks had “incited murder”.
Zuma responded: “My son is a man, he has his own views.
“If he wrote an article he could respond to it… It is it is not me who wrote it, it is Edward. Why respond to me, it is not my view.”
Mokgosi also charged that since it was the president who had informed the nation that Mozambican Emmanuel Sithole, who was stabbed to death in Alexandra at the height of last month’s wave of xenophobic violence, was an illegal immigrant, he had therefore created an impression that Sithole was an acceptable target.
In remarks widely reported last month, Edward Zuma said South Africa was sitting on a time bomb because foreigners were taking over the country.
ANA