Mrs Zille’s Black Entourage
Election time is an interesting time for us ordinary voters. We see all sorts of things from politicians.
The usual promises of better services, more of what they think we want.
It’s the same with politicians all over the world. The proverbial (and sometimes actual) kissing of babies.
In South Africa we are subjected to dancing politicians (for American readers, picture Hillary Clinton getting on stage and dancing and that’s what we have to put up with Cape Town’s mayor).
Of course we the electorate know we’re being played. So we pick who think will best represent us in parliament.
On tonight’s (Sunday) e-tv 8.00pm bulletin we were presented with Cape Town mayor Helen Zille meeting the ‘people’ in Khayelitsha. She ( mayor of the city in which Khayelitsha is part of) makes a call to one of her subjects to fix a broken tap in the area which had apparently been broken for a while.
In pure politician style, blaming ANC councillors for not telling her the tap was broken.
At least the news reporter for once told the truth about Helen Zille’s entourage of black supporters who accompanied her on the campaign trail in Khayelitsha.
She actually bused the ‘people’ in with her!!! Golden Arrow buses, nogal! Heaven forbid!
The camera of course showed close up shots of the mayor and ‘all’ her supporters (who fitted into two buses) in Khayelitsha wearing DA t-shirts.
Mrs Zille – on her high horse of course – has been trumpeting to the nation that she does not lie!
Other than fibbing about not threatening to call in the army to sort out taxi drivers and attempting to make the nation believe that she has wide black support when she buses obviously dark skinned people into the townships to exaggerate her support.
Polls are suggesting that the DA will get 16% of the vote in the upcoming elections. 4% more than last time.
If one considers that the same poll suggests the ANC will get 61% (67% in the last election) and COPE will get 15% of the vote, you could deduce that Mrs Zille is not making in roads in obtaining disgruntled ANC votes.
I personally know of no former ANC supporter who will vote DA.
She is likely to get votes from the Independent Democrats and other alliance partners.
So why pretend?
Because despite how she likes to portray herself as above the fray of South African politics, better than everyone else, the only one able to lead our city, country and province – she is just a politician like the rest.
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7 Responses to “Mrs Zille’s Black Entourage”
By Craig on Mar 30, 2009 | Reply
I suggest you stick to talking about anything except politics.
You are now blaming Helen because of a tap being broken. How was she supposed to know it wasn’t broken if the ANC councillor wasn’t doing his job? That is what he is supposed to do!
Blinkers you have on.
Might I add, please stop making arguments based on race.
By Abigail Abrahams on Mar 30, 2009 | Reply
Dear Craig,
From this moment forth I will stop talking about politics forever and I will never mention race ever. Because you said so!
Whatever happened to freedom of speech?
Are we going back to the dark days when only certain topics could be discussed and even mention of the ANC could land you in prison or on death row?
That is why I will never vote DA!
The ANC liberated black people in this country, while many DA members (in their various reincarnations) stood in parliament, spoke against apartheid and benefited from the rewards.
Funny how Mrs Zille didn’t go to Khayelitsha before to go and check up on the broken taps and only did so with tv cameras in tow. Electioneering is what it’s called these days.
As I’ve said in my post, Mrs Zille acts as if she’s above the fray. but actually just a politician.
By HH on Apr 5, 2009 | Reply
Helen Zille is not just a politician! She is a politician acting with a conscience. And that is what sets her apart and places her on a higher scale. Sadly, acting with conscience is something that has disappeared from today’s politicians.
By Abigail Abrahams on Apr 5, 2009 | Reply
HH, being loud and rude doesn’t make Mrs Zille sincere or any less of a politician than the rest.
She’s just like everyone else – its easy for her to sit on her perch and blather on, because she only has to run the best run city in the country (which she inherited).
Busing black people into townships to pretend she has lots of black support – you don’t call that dishonest and politicking at its very best?
By Shaun Moffitt on May 3, 2009 | Reply
Hi Abigail
Regarding your statement: “attempting to make the nation believe that she has wide black support when she buses obviously dark skinned people into the townships to exaggerate her support”
I was liasing with the organisers of the DA outdoor rally in Khayelitsha and let me correct you just as I had to ask our media officer to correct the etv reporter who stated that we bussed in black supporters from outside Khayelitsha.
The busses and taxis we contracted to bring supporters to the location of the outdoor rally was from various parts within Khayelitsha and Nyanga and our transaction documents with Golden Arrow will prove that.
These are big townships and we always organise transport for our supporters whether it be in the middle class suburbs, black townships or the Cape Flats.
We have DA branches in all the townships for black liberals who truely believe in an open and non-racial society. They often face intimidation and harrasment, as was indeed the case in this election campaign. Fortunately, it wasn’t as bad as in 2001 when more than a 100 homes of black DA supporters were burnt down in Langa or when an ANC councillor shot at 6 DA supporters. But I did witness an ANC councillor from New Crossroads tell black DA supporters that they face the threat of being shot at.
I admire them for their courage in standing up these thugs.
This country is not yet free of political intolerance and we as the DA will strive to achieve a society where freedom of political association reigns suprem
By Abigail Abrahams on May 3, 2009 | Reply
Thank you for clarifying the e-tv news report, Shaun.
My point remains though that the DA intentionally wanted to give the impression that their support was racially more wide spread than it was. Mrs Zille was seen on e-tv countless times during the election campaign surrounded by black voters and very seldom seen with her actual voter demographic – white and former New National Party coloured voters.
Actually you would never say the DA had any white support by looking at the news media.
Political intolerance is never acceptable although we have come a very long way since 2004 and before.
By the way political intolerance works both was as proven by the comments of some DA supporters not only on this blog but on others as well.
By fanele on Mar 31, 2011 | Reply
Abigail haibo! Who said ANC liberated SA did you do history at school? .if you did you would know that how many parties were involved including the ANC