Kohler-Barnard must appear before ethics committee over racism, promotion of apartheid

20 January 2016

As DA leader Mmusi Maimane yesterday staged a big live-television sham, paying lip service to his party's commitment to non-racialism, his senior MP in Parliament would have to account to the ethics committee regarding her racism, including openly promoting the evil and murderous system of apartheid.

Whilst Maimane yesterday waxed lyrical in his elaborate theatrical charade that racists are neither welcome nor should vote for the DA, few weeks ago his party gave unrepentant racist Dianne Kohler-Barnard a Christmas present to return to her parliamentary post as a reward for her racism and promotion of apartheid.

ANC Chief Whip Stone Sizani, as announced last month, has now written to parliamentary ethics committee requesting it to probe Kohler-Barnard regarding her conduct. Her conduct is in clear violation of section 4 of the ethics code, which unequivocally states that "in the performance of their duties and responsibilities, (MPs must be) committed to the eradication of all forms of discrimination.

As we recently stated, the disturbing acts of overt racism and open glorification of apartheid by the likes of Kohler-Barnard, and the indifference with which they are being dealt with, are instructive regarding the need to tighten the legislation to ensure such elements are removed from society.

The conduct of this DA MP and her ilk dehumanizes the great majority of our people and robs them of their dignity and thus must never be left merely to the internal subjective processes of their parties or companies. For this reason, the ANC Caucus is anxiously awaiting the introduction of the Hate Crimes Bill to Parliament by the department of justice and correctional services. Working with the people of South Africa, we will ensure that the Bill becomes one of the most powerful instruments to eradicate acts of racism and glorification of apartheid in our society.

We will ensure that perpetrators of such acts are tried in a court of law and thrown in jail for a suitable prison term. If such a law was currently active, Kohler-Barnard would have been tried, jailed and prohibited from serving as MP for a certain period due to her criminal record.

It makes a mockery of our democratic parliament, which is founded on the values of non-racialism, equality non-sexism and human dignity, for an unrepentant racist like Kohler-Barnard to continue serving as a public representative, paid by taxpayers, in this Parliament.

Statement issued by the Office of the ANC Chief Whip, 20 January 2016