The DA’s John Steenhuizen says other parties want to get their hands on the ‘well looked after’ budget in the Western Cape. | Timothy Bernard Independent Newspapers
DA Leader John Steenhuisen has labelled new parties as nothing more than “mercenary” parties looking to pull off the biggest bank heist ever witnessed.
While on the campaign trail recently, the opposition party leader warned supporters about new parties looking to take over the Western Cape province in the upcoming elections.
Steenhuisen said the biggest risk to continued progress, greater opportunities and building a better future for all in the Western Cape province would be complacency and “mercenary” parties like the Patriotic Alliance (PA), Rise Mzansi, GOOD Party and the National Coloured Congress (NCC).
He said this as he questioned why the other parties were not as interested in taking on the ANC and instead are trying to unseat the only government, he alleged, that created as many as 300 000 jobs last year.
Steenhuisen further boasted how the DA had, through collaborative efforts with the City of Cape Town, which saw the implementation of the Law Enforcement Advancement Programme (LEAP), managed to arrest over 27 000 criminals.
“Why are they coming here to an economy that is working, to schools that work, a place that gives opportunities to more people, and public transport systems that work, why here?
“Why are they not focusing their attention on the real enemy of progress in South Africa, which is the ANC? I have thought about this, and I will tell you why. It's because they know there is nothing left to loot in the other eight provinces.
“Alles is op ge eet, daar is net geld hier in die Weskaap. The rest of the country is bankrupt. That’s why they want to come to the Western Cape, because they want to get their hands on the budget and money that’s being well looked after by our government here under Allen Windy and his team. If they get that right, it will be the biggest bank heist you’ve ever seen, and within a few months, die geld sal op wees in hierdie provinsie,” he told the crowd of supporters.
Rise Mzansi National Leader Songeza Zibi expressed optimism at the growing number of political parties that have come out to attack and throw criticisms at the party.
Zibi said this was good news for the party as it indicated that opposition parties were feeling threatened by its existence and growing momentum.
In recent months, the Rise Mzansi leader said the party had come under attack first by the ANC’s Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula as well as the EFF’s Commander-in-Chief Julius Malema, and now by the DA leader.
“The ANC was first to complain about our postering, however, it appears that someone told him that every time he mentions Rise Mzansi, more people get to know who we are, so he stopped. Then it was Julius Malema who could not help himself, and he has since learned Mbalula’s lesson.”
Zibi said the party was not surprised by recent comments as the DA had resorted to a “concerted” campaign to sabotage and attack them, including undermining fundraising efforts, peddling disinformation and labelling them as corrupt.
“Their argument is that because they are the main opposition party nationally, they must not be challenged in the Western Cape by political parties that are ‘too black’ for their liking or refuse to accept the intellectual direction of the DA.
“We threaten to erode their base, not because we set out to do so, but because the DA has failed to become a viable alternative to the ANC. Instead, it has chosen a toxic, arrogant politics that treats voters and political opponents like fools.”
Steve Motale, PA National spokesperson, hit back at Steenhuizen’s comments indicating that the Western Cape was not the only province that had a budget.
“John looks very upset and is throwing a tantrum at the idea that he will have to actually win votes against other parties, who also would like votes. He should grow up and understand that's politics. The jobs the DA is claiming are in fact from the boost the tourism sector received following the lifting of the Covid lockdown. Claim no easy victories.
“The PA is also contesting all other provinces very hard, especially Gauteng, the Northern Cape, North West and Eastern Cape, and we would like to dethrone the ANC at all levels too. We don't think it's healthy for any one party to control power without limit, including the DA. It's sad to see the leader of a well-established political party being so immature, lacking basic understanding of basic democratic principles,” Motale said.