Johannesburg - The Congress of South African Students (COSAS) said on Friday that it felt "undermined" by the African National Congress (ANC), which it accused of trying to "rubbish" the legacy of deceased Struggle icon Winnie Mandela.
"We are writing this statement at a time where we feel undermined by opportunists within the ANC, leopards in a sheep's skin. We are not ashamed to name the opportunists, Dikeledi Magadzi (ANC MP) and Jackson “Toothless” Mthembu, Chief Whip of the ANC in Parliament. They are trying by all means and at all material conditions to rubbish the legacy of mama Winnie Mandela," COSAS said in a statement.
On Tuesday, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema tabled a motion in parliament to have Cape Town International Airport renamed after Mandela. The motion was rejected by the ANC and opposition parties, including the FF+ and the DA; with the UDM and NFP in favour thereof.
"We recall the hatred of mama Winnie Mandela by Dikeledi Magadzi when she resigned as an NEC member of the ANCWL under the presidency of mama Winnie Mandela, which came after Dikeledi Magadzi labelled our [honourable] president as a criminal who cannot lead. If that was not enough, she also played a role in accusing mama Winnie of assassinating the young Stompie," the student movement said.
A year after the death of Mandela, said COSAS, and years after they thought Magadzi had thrown "her evil, jealous and opportunistic behaviour away", she went to parliament and portrayed her "permanent hatred" for Mandela. She continued to prove that she would never recognise and applaud the contribution and role Mandela played in "liberating all the people of South Africa and Africa as a continent".
"We cannot allow a woman without fortitude, political direction and vision to continue tarnishing the name of our Mother, hence it is for this reason that the Congress of South African Students challenges the African National Congress. We want to make it a good point and example that insulting the queen of Africa is a taboo, as Nigerians would say. The example would be by making sure that they never return as MPs as their stay in Parliament is reckless and evil...."
COSAS accused Mthembu of not being in favour of the organisation. "We are used to this barbaric behaviour of Jackson “Toothless” Mthembu of spitting on the graves of our struggle heroes and heroines."
Instead of strengthening safety in schools, the ANC was attacking Mandela, said COSAS.