ANC in march to stop racism
THE ANC in the Western Cape is shining the spotlight on racism in the province and will take to the streets of Cape Town today to protest against what it described as “DA racism and corruption”. Various organisations, including Cosatu and the Cape Minstrels, are expected to take part in the march.
Launching the party’s “Stop Racism, Build NonRacialism” campaign at the ANC’s Sahara House headquarters yesterday, ANC provincial secretary Songezo Mjongile said the recent spate of racial attacks in the city clearly showed that racial hatred was on the rise.
Mjongile said their campaign for redress, redistribution and equality was aimed at defeating institutionalised racism in the province.
“The best way to deal with this problem is to shine a light on it. We cannot defeat racism by burying our heads in the sand,” he said.
“We need to raise consciousness around this issue and also ensure that we start talking about the causes of racism.”
Mjongile said at the core was the issue of a lack of transformation in the province.
“We are moving backward instead of forward. The general resentment, anger and disillusionment that we see in poor communities are a result of the failure of the provincial government to lead the programme of building non-racialism in the Western Cape, through ensuring that it implements existing legislation.”
He said the ANC was asking for the implementation of existing legislation.
And he pointed out that they were not asking for the introduction of new legislation, but instead wanted existing laws, including affirmative action, employment equity and black economic empowerment, to be implemented.
Mjongile said the party would expose the failure of transformation in the different spheres of the government, lack of service delivery for the marginalised, absolute bias towards the rich and rampant workplace discrimination.
He said poor communities had become spectators while vast stretches of land, job opportunities, economic and social development remained the preserve of those who benefited under apartheid.
And the ANC accused the DA of opposing affirmative action and employment equity with the excuse of protecting “coloured jobs”, while, in reality, it had entrenched white-male domination in senior government positions.
“The DA has strengthened the position of big business at the expense of SMMEs such as in construction, property development, sourcing of medical supplies, information, communication and technology and other services,” he said.
He said their campaign would include a series of mass demonstrations, pickets, rallies, political debates, litigation and support for victims of racism and sexism.
Mjongile said the party would set up a call centre, to be manned by a team dedicated to assisting the public.
Premier Helen Zille said: “The ANC must define their terms. Racial attacks launched by the ANC have lost all meaning. Racism is the only card the ANC has left to play and the strategy has long ago worn itself out.”