DA launches petition to stop 'racist' BLF from contesting 2019 elections

Published Feb 3, 2019

Share

CAPE TOWN - The Democratic Alliance on Sunday launched a petition to prevent Andile Mngxitama’s Black First Land First (BLF) from contesting the 2019 general elections over its racist comments.

"The BLF has shown itself it to be a cabal of unrepentant racists whose mission is to divide South Africans along racial lines and to undermine the constitutional value which states 'South Africa belongs to all who live in it',” DA Youth leader Luyolo Mphithi said.

"We, therefore, call upon the people of South Africa whose interest is in building One South Africa for All to lend their support to this petition," he said.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) also had an important role to play in this regard. It could not in good conscience accept that a party, "which marvels at the death of three young learners at Hoërskool Driehoek", is placed on the ballot paper and given the opportunity to contest in order to peddle hate along racial lines in parliament or the country’s nine provincial legislatures.

Further to this, the DA had reported the BLF to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and would request that this matter be expedited so that the DA could use the SAHRC report as the basis of its case to the IEC to have the BLF barred from running in this election campaign.

"It is important that all South Africans stand up against the politics of division, regardless of who peddles it, and stand together in order to build One South Africa for All. The DA will never abandon the project of reconciliation. 'Unity in diversity' should not just be words, it is a call to action that we should all take up," Mphithi said.

African News Agency (ANA)

Related Topics:

DA