ANC Reaction To The DA/IFP Joint Caucus
12 September 2003
The statements issued by the leaders of the DA and the IFP are nothing new from what they have said before. Of interest though, is that history indeed does seem to repeat itself, and desperation can lead people to resort to cheap propaganda. The ANC is astonished that these leaders would stoop so low as to resort to blatant lies and manufactured crises to lobby support.
We have never regarded our relationship with the opposition parties as anything resembling a war. The analogy being drawn by the DA is reminiscent of their fight back campaign which no doubt has strong racial undertones, and seeking to distort the context of our revolution, starting from the wars of dispossession which were meant to unite people of our country. Instead of learning positive lessons out of such experiences, they choose to resort to distortions of our noble history. The DA`s incitement of the nation to arms is dangerous and can never achieve anything positive. The chaos in the Cape Town City Municipality at a time when the DA was in control of the city taught us a valuable lesson; never to allow the DA to assume power, lest we be transported back to the past we so desperately need to get away from. They will always make excuses for their failure to mobilise support and rather choose to play the race card, sometimes in a subtle manner.
Perhaps both Leon and Buthelezi need to wake up and smell the roses, and realise that it is the majority of South Africans that chose to elect the ANC as a ruling party. The conspiracy theories suggesting the existence of a one-party state and the death of democracy are scare tactics that do not warrant attention. It is therefore not surprising that these leaders have chosen the path of being doomsday prophets, rather than throw their weight behind the development and reconstruction of this country. This confirms the suspect agenda they are pursuing - that of taking this country to a position where minority privilege remains entrenched and the vast majority remain second-class citizens.
It is a rather bizarre irony that the DA professes allegiance to the Constitution, while the very DA does not hesitate to rubbish the same constitution when it is expedient to them. The death penalty issue is a classical example.
To suggest that if the majority of the people know whom they want to elect as government is not democracy, is preposterous, and exemplary of the narrow thinking on the part of the IFP. It is unfortunate that these leaders define democracy on the basis of what they want, and not on the basis of what the vast majority want. This irrational mentality is very dangerous and should not be allowed to influence mainstream thinking in our society. When people go to the polls, they exercise a choice. It is not up to the DA, the IFP or even the ANC to decide what that choice should be. Democracy is about the ability of the citizens to exercise such choice independently without fear. South Africa has achieved that, and no one must be allowed to take that away neither the DA, nor the IFP.
For further information contact Smuts Ngonyama at 0825692061
Communications Department
54 Sauer Street
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