DA banned poster of Madiba on Mandela Day
It is a disgrace and utterly unacceptable that a DA councillor of Cape Town on Friday banned from public display the image and words of Tata Madiba - on International Nelson Mandela Day and his first birthday not with us.
This happened when the inflexible DA representative Theresa Uys in Durbanville called the Law Enforcement officers and forced a temporary banner attached with only nylon ropes to pillars honouring Mandela to immediately be taken down. She was on the phone reportedly consulting with unknown leadership.
ANC Western Cape leader Marius Fransman says: "It is utterly incomprehensible why a DA councillor would object to a banner of Madiba in public when the very City of Cape Town displays an image of Mandela on the tower building of the municipality, flags and banners as well as an exhibition in the city civic centre. The suspicion is that it is because it is Muslim people that honoured Madiba in an area where Christians are predominantly present.
"It has become the trade mark of the DA to remove people from certain areas citing amongst others technicalities like nuisance, health and even safety By-laws of the municipality in order to advance ulterior motives. The banner has a well-known quote of Mandela on it and set to be displayed for 67 minutes outside a place used for worship by the Durbanville Islamic Society to commemorate our hero the father of our nation. Or is the motive even more sinister due to the fact that the words made reference to Palestine? Nonetheless the over the top reaction by Uys phoning frantically with her mobile and the officers rushing to her aid, is unacceptable - especially since it smacks of interfering with the work of municipal officials and operational matters."
The ANC says the DA and Cape Town Speaker Dirk Smit should institute a disciplinary investigation against Uys to act against her for overstepping her work - especially her myopic interpretation of the signage rules. She is not a policing officer of the city, any religion or on race matters.
"The double standards of the DA are again there for all to see. It simply does not make sense to curtail Mandela Day celebrations by well-meaning residents in such a heartless way. This incident marred a peaceful tribute to Madiba and caused a massive outrage with the high-handed DA that want to again ban him to an island of obscurity. The DA must apologise to all South Africans for this insensitivity.
See other pictures here
Statement issued by ANC Western Cape leader, Marius Fransman, July 20 2014
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