Durban - The African National Congress in KwaZulu-Natal has called for mass protests against the Democratic Alliance.
In a statement released on Friday afternoon, ANC provincial secretary Sihle Zikalala said: “The racist statements crusade by Democratic Alliance leaders is spine-chilling.”
Zikalala's comments follow the uproar that erupted over a Facebook post that DA police and crime spokeswoman Dianne Kohler Barnard shared, which seemed to urge the return of former apartheid leader PW Botha.
The post by journalist Paul Kirk, that was shared by Kohler Barnard, read: “And so the new head of the Hawks - found to be without integrity and dishonest by the High Court - has suspended ace detective Johan Booysen over a typing error. This is a bloody circus. Please come back PW Botha - you were far more honest than any of these ANC rogues, and you provided a far better services to the public - we had a functioning education system, functioning health system, and the police did not murder miners on behalf of government toadies as they do now.”
Zikalala said: “There has been a number of horrifying statements made by DA leaders in the recent past. The social media platforms are also littered with even more appalling racist views aired by people who praise the DA while uttering bloodcurdling racist statements. What is worrying is that we don't hear the DA strongly condemning these acts and assuming that the party tolerates racism cannot be far-fetched.”
He said racism had in the past had far-reaching implications for millions of people who were marginalised.
“PW Botha, that the DA leaders seem to be praising now, promoted and institutionalised racism when he was the South African president,” said Zikalala.
He urged South Africans to protest against the DA to show them most South Africans did not share the belief that “life was good” under Botha.
“It is disappointing that more than 20 years after the racist government was dismantled racism still raises its ugly head. We must fight against it until we defeat it.”
ANA