ANC rejects Zille's insincere explanation
The Western Cape ANC outright rejects the rationalisation by premier Helen Zille for using an insulting and emotive term for blacks from the Eastern Cape.
The ANC demands of her a retraction for calling such people "refugees" in their own country that in effect diminish them to a group not really belonging here and for Zille to apologise unreservedly.
Provincial secretary Songezo Mjongile says: "It is not the first time Africans were on the receiving end of Zille's incessant Twitter jibes aimed at polarising people. These racially loaded sneers alienate and demean blacks.
"It is unbecoming of a public figure, such as a premier to uncaringly call a segment of people in this province - in this instance; blacks originating from the Eastern Cape - ‘refugees' as it is also in breach of their general human rights as South African citizens and especially the right to choose where to stay and of association. They are no longer second class citizens of the former apartheid era in any part of this country and especially not in the Western Cape."
In a previous jibe Zille caused outrage after labelling musician Simphiwe Dana by inferred admonishment a "professional black" in an exchange over racism in Cape Town.
Social platforms are abuzz since Tuesday when Zille's tasteless comment about schools for Eastern Cape "refugees" caused a barrage of criticism from black people. It also sparked an ugly war of words between race groups.
The general understanding of the word refugee is a homeless exile that flees a country to another for asylum or refuge in the face of fear and persecution on account of religion, race, political opinion, nationality or any other vulnerable group affiliation.
"Zille is trying to talk her way out of the quirk mire she once more created herself. She has brought the DA again to a defining moment in the short life of South Africa's constitutional democracy where pompous intellectualisation doesn't aid much. She must not use any other words, but to say sorry for the affronting sneer. That's all.
"Through experience we have seen the DA and its leaders are quick to blame all Western Cape woes on these Eastern Cape people, like long lines, higher demand for health services, housing backlogs and even education problems such as overcrowded and inferior classrooms in townships of Grabouw and other places.
"The DA uses code like this to shift blame on the ‘foreigners' as isiXhosa speaking Africans from the Eastern Cape specifically are portrayed as intruders taking services and jobs from locals. Thus the DA's political tactic is clearly to smear Africans as scapegoats for all things bad and effectively upholding the old Apartheid ‘swart gevaar' (black danger) to divide the province along racial lines for its narrow political gains. This deplorable plan is utterly racist as the DA will never use any similar slur against white people from other provinces or countries moving into the Western Cape and putting pressure on bulk infrastructure, transport or roads and other services.
"This time her racist tag of ‘refugees' are not tolerated. It underpins the perception of the DA's stance of black exclusionism and a desire for cessation from the rest of the country. The labelling reduces South Africans from equals with free movement to foreigners in their own country, and is tantamount to hate speech and incitement against them.
"We have shed apartheid's influx control measures which aimed to keep blacks out of white areas of privilege. It seems much of the mind-set still lives on in the DA," Mjongile added.
Statement issued by ANC Western Cape Provincial Secretary Songezo Mjongile, March 22 2012
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