Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille has been accused of a Stalinist-style airbrushing of her predecessor, Tony Leon, out of her party's history. The charge was made by political columnist Rhoda Kadalie after Zille delivered a speech at the launch of her party's campaign on Saturday "to tell the untold story of the DA" - which failed to mention Leon's name or any contribution he may have made.
According to City Press: "Zille's speech in Alexandra [on Saturday] to a packed hall - where Leon wasn't present - mentioned "pioneers" who had fought against apartheid and made the party what it is today. These include people like former party federal chairperson Joe Seremane, the current chairperson, Wilmot James, Progressive Party MP Helen Suzman, Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille, Breede Valley Mayor Basil Kivedo, the party's Eastern Cape organiser, Nosimo Balindlela, and Zille herself."
In reaction to Leon's omission from this list Kadalie commented on Twitter (@rhodakadalie1): "Tony Leon is airbrushed out of opposition politics just like Stalin airbrushed people he did not like out of soviet history. Sies!" In follow up tweets she added: "Where is Tony who grew that party from 2 to 12 percent! Moegoes!" and "I know that Tony Leon was pivotal to the DA but somehow he is made invisible to the DA cause! Disgusting."
The political analyst Eusebius McKaiser was also struck by the exclusion of Leon from Zille's narrative. He commented on Twitter (@Eusebius): "I'm now fascinated by what was LEFT OUT of Helen Zille's speech today. Does Tony Leon not exist? Did no white men build the DA?"
City Press reported that: "Official DA spokespeople could not be immediately reached, but a DA representative who was at the event said [Rhoda Kadalie's] criticism was regrettable. ‘It was specifically about those who played a key role in the struggle,' he said. He added that Leon was very young at the time. Another DA leader who was there said the three-month campaign had only just started, and there would be time to celebrate everyone."
An example of Stalin-era airbrushing:
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