ANC was right on Dianne “Botha” recycling

22 December 2015

The ANC Western Cape is vindicated by its position that the DA only put up a smoke screen around the suspended Dianne Kohler Barnard race incident in order to eventually absolve her.

The DA indeed today gave her a slap on the wrist - the equivalent to a traffic fine - and restored her standing in the party. This is an indication that the DA cannot distance itself from its hard core racism and leaders of the past privilege who still control it.

It also shows how weak DA leader Mmusi Maimane is that he cannot steer his party away from old order racism and those longing for the apartheid past by some prominent members like Kohler Barnard who on Twitter endorsed the longing for PW Botha’s regime.

ANC Western Cape leader Marius Fransman says: "The ANC predicted this about turn of today where the DA first suspended Kohler Barnard and today swung around to welcome her back in its ranks. This is the same DA who cheered when past leader Helen Zille was described as greater than HF Verwoerd at her farewell event earlier this year.

“It is clear the DA does not have the guts or the political will to break with its apartheid past and steer onto the course of South Africa’s non-racist path. Too many in the DA still embrace that apartheid past; and it was evident in the internal DA revolt when Kohler Barnard was booted. It then became apparent that Kohler Barnard would be recycled. Voters must take note that the DA remains unfazed and unchanged in the new South Africa – even 21 years after our liberation and the new dispensation.

Statement issued by ANC Western Cape leader Marius Fransman, 22 December 2015