Steenhuisen’s Western Cape election jab causes a stir

DA leader John Steenhuisen’s “why are they coming to the Western Cape” election campaign speech aimed as a jab at opposition parties has caused a stir, with the party accused of intolerance to competition in its “home ground”.

Steenhuisen led the party’s election manifesto launch in Paarl at the weekend.

He told party supporters the biggest risks to the province ahead of the elections was voter complacency and parties including Gayton McKenzie’s Patriotic Alliance (PA), the newly founded Rise Mzansi, GOOD Party and National Coloured Congress (NCC).

“The biggest risk to continued progress and building a better future for all of us in this province is complacency and mercenary parties like the PA, Rise Mzansi, GOOD and NCC.

“Why are they coming here to the only government that arrested more than 27,000 criminals in the past year?” he said.

Steenhuisen accused the op position parties of wanting to loot the Western Cape government.

“They know there is nothing left to loot in other provinces and want to come to the Western Cape, because they want to get their hands on the budget and money that has been well looked after by our government.

“If they get that right, it’s going to be the biggest bank heist you’ve ever seen.”

He ended his speech with: “On May 29, go out and vote for the DA to keep the Cape’s hope alive, and to keep the despair of doomsday out of the Western Cape.”

The speech has been lambasted as fearmongering.

PA leader McKenzie said: “If this man behaves and thinks in these territorial terms regarding the Western Cape and opposition parties publicly, can you imagine how he behaves in closed meetings?

“I was there and I was shocked every day, just as some of you are shocked.”