ANC slates Botha for abusing Mandela's name

The Western Cape ANC says the DA's health MEC Theuns Botha abuses his parliamentary privilege to breach state security; spread rumours and drag the good name of former president Nelson Mandela down.

ANC spokesperson for health Mcebisi Skwatsha (ANC) says: "MEC Botha has no respect for the father of our nation, Nelson Mandela. He shamefully uses Madiba for namedropping to score cheap political points. He abuses his name and under the protection of privilege in the Western Cape provincial legislature spreads information that is incorrect."

Botha during his health budget debate used Mandela's name to add spice, close on the heels of his premier Helen Zille's attack on isiXhosa speaking schoolchildren with the epithet "refugees" she hurled on Twitter to detract attention from a crisis with an overcrowded school in her own province.

Botha in reference to Mr Skwatsha said (on 26 March): "Mr Deputy Speaker, the honourable member referred to Nelson Mandela on a few occasions. Can I tell you what? That government of the ANC in the Eastern Cape... I never wanted to mention this, but you were looking for this. Yes, I'll mention it. Do you know that that government doesn't have the ability to provide the former President of this nation, Father Nelson Mandela, with an ambulance and paramedics? We give it to him in the Eastern Cape..."

Senior sources disprove these utterances by Botha.

"The ANC has investigated the matter and found various holes in Botha's story. The Western Cape is not giving any specialised ambulance for the use of Mr Mandela as Botha now claims the case is. A specialised state ambulance is on call in rural Qunu.

"Botha's intimations that the Eastern Cape does not have the capacity ("ability") to provide an ambulance or staff members are devoid of truth. No ambulance or paramedics from the Western Cape now serves there, as is averred by Botha.

"The job to care for Mr Mandela is that of the national government and military. The Western Cape is not part of any specialised arrangement around Mr Mandela there.

"The military transport and medical care is supplied by the state to the former heads of state (including the present incumbent), as is international protocol, including helicopters," says Skwatsha.  

The ANC is also extremely alarmed that Botha has infringed the security arrangements around Madiba by making such claims.

"It is sad that any MEC who is in government can breach a security embargo by revealing any detail pertaining to the former head of state. Botha is also placing co-operative governance and professional collaboration with all provinces in jeopardy by stooping so low as to milk political mileage at the expense of serious affairs of State.

"By not protecting the honourable former President or respecting the security arrangements for him, Botha has again proved that the DA cannot be trusted with matters at the highest levels of governance including sensitive or official information," Skwatsha added.  

Statement issued by Mcebisi Skwatsha MPL, ANC Western Cape, March 30 2012

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