ANC abuses yet another state function for election purposes

For the second day in a row, the handover of completed housing has been hijacked by ANC activists and turned into a party political rally. Just yesterday a housing handover in Vredenburg attended by Western Cape Human Settlements Minister Bonginkosi Madikizela was derailed by ANC activists.  

Today's event in Delft was a joint occasion between all three spheres of government to celebrate the completion of houses using new building methods that provide better insulation and fireproofing than normal houses. ANC shirts were handed out before the event which was disrupted by a group of activists who would not give provincial and local government speakers a chance to be heard. 

The situation was severely aggravated by the fact that the national Minister of Human Settlements, Connie September, did nothing to intervene to stop the inappropriate abuse of the function. But she went a step further than President Jacob Zuma who remained silent when ANC activists did the same at a function in Saldanha Bay last year.  

At today's event, Minister September actually stoked the situation by singing a particular struggle song implying that we were enemies with the intention of shooting people. 

The Constitutional Court has already expressed a view on these kinds of songs and for this kind of singing to be led by a national Minister at a state function is entirely outrageous.  

The irony is that there has been excellent cooperation between all three spheres of government on this pioneering project which should have been a joyous celebration, devoid of party politics. 

I will write to President Zuma about this disgraceful behaviour but I am not expecting any positive outcome because he himself set the example that his followers emulated today in Deft and yesterday in Vredenburg. 

Only when the voters make it clear that they will not tolerate this type of abuse will South Africa be on the path to restoring the vision and dream that Mandela gave us in 1994.

Statement issued by Western Cape Premier, Helen Zille, February 18 2014

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