Cape Town -
The Cape Flats is being flooded with leaflets calling on Muslims to vote for the ANC, the latest in a series of party political election tactics.
These have included the DA’s “proudly brought to you by the ANC” billboards blaming the ruling party for load shedding; the Muslim party Al Jama’ah’s poster campaign saying: “Don’t vote DA it is haraam”; the DA’s adverts being pulled by the public broadcaster; the ANC taking legal action over the DA election pamphlet saying “the ANC wants to stop you getting a job or promotion”; and the DA’s scathing attacks on President Jacob Zuma and the Nkandla debacle.
In the latest move, the ANC has flooded the Cape Flats with pamphlets titled “Why we still vote ANC”, in which its Muslim members take a critical look at their party but recommend it while engaging in DA bashing.
In the pamphlet Muslim party members - which insiders say include prominent ANC bigwigs like Enver Surty, Ebrahim Patel, Ebrahim Rasool, Hishaam Mohamed and Faizel Moosa - give what they describe as a “credible explanation” of why voting ANC is the right thing to do.
Party loyalists urge Muslims to support the ANC, with members even tackling Nkandla to drive their point home.
“We know that there are problems such as the Nkandla issue, but we also know that the achievements outweigh the problems,” the pamphlet says.
“This is not the time to let our anger and disappointments overwhelm our hopes and aspirations. This is the time to continue to build South Africa by creating more jobs, decent work and sustainable livelihoods for inclusive growth.”
Members claimed their call was consistent with the Qur’an, which says: “Allah does not forbid you from those non-Muslims who do not fight your religion nor drive you from your homes, from being righteous and fair to them. Allah loves those who are fair and just.”
The pamphlet also points out that in South Africa Muslims are treated equally under the law, while in the US Muslims are profiled, and in France Muslim dress and symbols are outlawed. It says while governments in Europe and America supported the Israeli occupation of Palestine and “the war on terror”, the South African government opposed these.
“We are the example to a global Ummah who suffers from Islamophobia in the West and dictatorship in the East. We have to show that a place of peace and security is indeed possible for Muslims. That place is being built in South Africa. That’s why we have to vote for the ANC.”
The pamphlet also points out what it calls flaws in DA claims that the Western Cape is the best-run province, saying the DA has simply repackaged the ANC’s achievements.
Cape Argus