Durban - The mother of DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko linked up with her daughter on the election campaign trail in uMlazi, Durban, on Monday and advised her not to buckle when other politicians tried to destroy her character.
June-Rose Mazibuko, a matron at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, who was also celebrating her 64th birthday on Monday, told the crowd that she had been upset when ANC MPs had ridiculed he daughter about her weight.
“I feel sad because they don’t know who you really are,” she said, adding that after the incident she avoided watching TV news as she could not bear watching her child being ridiculed.
She also encouraged her to not give up on criticising President Jacob Zuma and the ANC.
“Your position demands that you expose the wrong decisions that are taken in Parliament. You should challenge the president. To say you are young is just a coincidence - they should not use that to stop you from doing your job. I raised you to respect people, and I know you will never attack the president’s personality.”
Mazibuko sr said she wanted to see Lindiwe becoming president one day.
On a personal note she said she had no fear of intimidation from her colleagues at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital for supporting her daughter because her colleagues were “politically mature”.
“Anyway we have too many patients to look after and we don’t have time to talk politics,” she said.
Mazibuko jr said she was not affected by insults from her fellow parliamentarians.
“People like John Jeffery and Buti Manamela (who made the comments) don’t know me. All they want is to make me feel small so that I cannot do my job,” she said.
Zuma was failing to run the country properly, she said, and even Joburg socialite Kenny Kunene recognised that, she added, referring to comments Kunene made in weekend newspapers.
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The president always says ‘you must respect me’. He forgets that he is not a king. You earn respect by delivering to the people and by conducting yourself with integrity and respect. It is not good in a democratic society to go around demanding respect. You must earn respect,” she said.
Mazibuko jr was in the area to conduct her party’s “Know your DA” campaign, which is a drive to educate the public about the party’s role in the liberation Struggle in preparation for next year’s general election.
Her mother told her: “You must respect people whether they are black or white as they all deserve freedom and equal opportunities.”
About 100 people, wearing blue T-shirts, gathered at the hall and watched a video about the history of the DA.
The Mercury