DA Youth accepts Sitha Gqoma's apology for "cockroaches" remark 

The DA Youth welcomes the formal apology by Mr Sitha Gqoma for his statements equating DA members to cockroaches. We acknowledge and accept his apology and trust he will think more carefully when making political statements in future. 

Mr Gqomfa, a former SASCO Leader at NMMU, tweeted "DA mischievous to visit Nkandla they will die KZN akudlawa pha and they must die like cockroaches!!!". At the time we reported Mr Gqomfa's tweet to the Human Rights Commission. The HRC has settled the complaint by requesting a formal apology from Mr Gqomfa. 

We need to bring South Africans together to work for a better future for all. Such statements only divide people, and serve no constructive purpose. We must develop a culture of tolerance for those who disagree with us. 

We have often encountered such statements when campaigning on campuses - usually made by ANC representatives. The only purpose of such statements is to divide people for political purposes. 

This stands in stark contrast to the DA Youth, which, as a part of the Democratic Alliance, is the most multi-racial and multi-cultural youth movement in South Africa. Our vision is of a future in which South Africans are united in their diversity and in which leaders are the champions of delivery, not divisiveness. 

We invite Mr. Gqomfa to become a part of this future.

Statement issued by Mbali Ntuli, DA Youth Leader, June 8 2013

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