Shoutfest as 3 parties clash

2004-03-29 19:16

Donwald Pressly

Cape Town - Political daggers were drawn between the New National Party and African National Congress on one side and the official opposition Democratic Alliance on the other at a Western Cape premiers' debate on Monday - with a coalition between all three ruled out after the election.

Afrikaans newspaper, Die Burger, arranged the debate in the Kraaifontein civic centre between incumbent premier Marthinus van Schalkwyk of the NNP , ANC Western Cape leader Ebrahim Rasool, who is the finance MEC, and Democratic Alliance premier candidate Theuns Botha.

With all three parties having bused in their supporters, the debate was characterised by a constant drone as opponents of each speaker tried - most of the time successfully - to out-yell him.

It did not deter Van Schalkwyk from devoting much of his imput to the DA.

He was asked whether he would consider an alliance with the DA if the NNP and ANC were unable to win an overall majority on their own in the province.

'Party of rightwingers'

He replied - with a picture of absolute delight on his face - that "under no circumstances" would his party consider any such alliance. His supporters roared approval.

He painted the DA as a party of rightwingers who lauded the likes of apartheid architect Hendrik Verwoerd.

Botha himself, the premier said, acknowledged that the DA was the party "of the white elite".

Botha said his party had "sold out" the voter to the ANC by collapsing the opposition government two years ago and jumping into the political bed with it. This was its last campaign on the way to obscurity, he argued.

When a member of the audience suggested that his own Langeberg municipality - where Botha is mayor - had a majority of whites in top leadership positions, Botha noted that Van Schalkwyk had toppled two former coloured premiers. His own municipality had a successful affirmative action drive, he said.

Botha did not spell it out, but he was referring to former NNP (and later DA) premier Gerald Morkel and his successor, Peter Marais, who is now leader of the New Labour Party. Both were toppled by Van Schalkwyk.

Elder statesmen get a mention

Rasool, said "Ons is almal broers en susters (we are all brothers and sisters)" to much applause.

Asked why he sought to forge a unity between African black and coloured people, he said they were the victims of the apartheid system.

He accused the DA of perpetuating racism by turning a blind eye when farmers evicted farm workers "and took away their housing".

Van Schalkwyk said all three major parties had elder statesmen in their ranks.

The ANC had former president Nelson Mandela, the NNP had former president F W de Klerk and the DA had Helen Suzman - but even the latter could not give her full support to that party.

- I-Net Bridge (News24)