Zille slams parties for ‘Zuma legacy’
Premier hits out at critics of her State of the Province Address
SPARKS flew yesterday’s during Helen Zille’s reply to opposition parties on her provincial address when she accused the ANC’s legislature caucus of continuing the legacy of former president Jacob Zuma. “The legacy of president Zuma lives on the opposition benches of the ANC. The same racial divide that he has used, they are using in their speeches,” Zille said.
She was replying to opposition parties who slammed her for not touching on issues, among others, of gang violence and crime in her State of the Province Address (Sopa) delivered last week.
Zill began her reply taking a swipe at ANC opposition leader Khaya Magaxa.
“He writes to me asking that the Sopa be postponed. But I have no right to interfere in the legislature business. I cannot interfere in their business. Then he tells me that I am expected to postpone Sopa under the provisions of the constitution and intergovernmental relations, but there are no such provisions,” Zille said.
She said the ANC presented fake legal arguments during the debate.
“They have delayed the State of the Nation Address (Sona) to softly deal with Zuma and on top of it they come here with fake legal arguments,” she said, to the shouting of ANC MPLs who pointed out to Zille that the DA also asked that Sona be postponed.
“The ANC has always put themselves first. Every speech that was delivered in this House (last week) undermines the preamble of the constitution. Mr Magaxa proves that Zuma lives in here,” she said.
Magaxa replied: “You and Zuma are friends of the Guptas.”
Zille said the DA received a donation of R250 000 from Sahara Computers owned by the Gupta family.
“We got a donation from Sahara Computers, not the Guptas. The Guptas called me once asking for a blue-light escort from Cape Town International Airport and I told them to get lost,” she said.
Zille said the ANC has nothing new to offer South Africa.
“They have nothing new, no new ideas, no new thinking. It’s all just the same. They have zero,” he said.
She also addressed the allegations of corruption with tenders in the City of Cape Town made by former DA MPL Rodney Lentit.
“A former member of this House has made many allegations against the DA with no substance. We do not get involved in matters of tenders. Every bidder will be adjudicated by a committee. Mr Lentit’s claims have no substance. The mayor has no power to get involved and so also the premier,” Zille said.