'Memo not for Zille's boyfriend'
2009-05-27 13:54
Cape Town - Several hundred MK veterans have refused to hand over a memorandum to a Western Cape MEC, describing him as one of Premier Helen Zille's "boyfriends".
The vets marched to the Western Cape provincial legislature on Wednesday to hand over a memorandum demanding that Zille apologise to President Jacob Zuma after she criticised his attitude towards women in defence of her own all-male Cabinet.
The MK Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) vowed they will come back when Zille returns from Gauteng, where she is attending a national government lekgotla.
Western Cape Housing MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela was greeted by cries of "voetsek", when he came to accept the document, Sapa reported.
March
The march began in Keizergracht Street and wound its way to the provincial legislature in Wale Street at about 11:40, with over 450 people marching and singing.
A police escort brought traffic to a temporary halt. Shop assistants and members of the public stared at the vets army fatigues.
Zille's statement that Zuma put his wives at risk by having unprotected sex with an HIV-positive woman caused uproar amongst the Youth League and the MKMVA, who lashed back by implying Zille was sleeping with her Cabinet. The ANC subsequently distanced itself from the statements.
But ANC provincial chairperson Mcebisi Skwatsha assured the crowds that the vets had the ANC's full support.
"We are here as the ANC to say we are not embarrassed to have an army like Umkhonto we Sizwe and to say you have the full support of the ANC."
However MKMVA spokesperson, Fatty Booi said earlier that the march was not endorsed by Zuma.
Speakers from supporting organisations like Cosas and Sasfu pledged their support to the MKMVA, while uniformly denouncing Zille as racist.