DA's 'double standards'
by Dr Luvhaivhai
2009-11-02 13:10
I thought things would change with the passage of time and we'd be able to see a white party which is committed to non-racialism, both in spirit and in deed.
The Democratic Alliance is purportedly founded on ordinary basic principles, amongst which is upholding the non-racialism stance across all its structures and/or pronouncements in matters of national importance. On many occasions this party would go on public commenting and lodging complaints with different institutions established to protect the rights of citizens as a gesture of fulfilling its mandate bestowed on them by the people of South Africa as the main opposition party. The big question is whether this mandate is carried-out in a merited and equitable fashion or not.
In order not to be judgmental or biased in my assessment of their stance regarding their so-called "protection of human rights and dignity" I ensured that I observed with care their pronouncements and positions in differing matters. It has always been my wish that debates that I pose in public platforms are not reduced to a mere black and white race issue, however, on this matter I had no choice but to put things in the manner that they look. DA has never made it their mission to make noise about atrocities meted out at blacks be it in a form of tacit racism or blatant discrimination.
This fact is backed by many examples which I can spend the whole day outlining. Check some of the recent incidents below:
- University Free State case. Following the despicable ordeal of urinated food being forced down the throats of black ladies by white students, the DA never found it imperative to act in protection of the rights of the black ladies, either by lodging complaints as it seems this is their biggest weapon of opposition or publicly pronouncing against this act with a view to inflict punishment on those students. Inversely when Prof Jansen took a decision to re-admit the students, they were interestingly enough quick to commend his decision.
- A case where a young white man went about killing every next black person on the street - in this case again, the DA failed to seize an opportunity to state their views decisively.
- A case wherein a white farmer mistook a black fellow for a baboon and got a lenient sentence, the DA should have ceased this opportunity to challenge the decision by the judge and/or pronounce against this in the strongest manner possible, but alas they never cared as usual with similar cases.
These and many other cases are the reasons why the DA will always fail to convince black South Africans that they are fully committed to non-racialism and that they are not simply snaring blacks to subject them to white minority dominance in a different fashion.
The DA can do a lot in convincing blacks that they are serious about ruling this country since the vote of blacks is imperative in order for this to happen.
Their leader also failed to take her people into confidence by appointing a virtually white provincial cabinet. This again was a huge missed opportunity.
Get published on MyNews24 by sending your letter, story or column to us.
Send us your news photos
Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on MyNews24 have been independently written by members of News24's community. The views of users published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24. News24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.