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'This is a gun, vote for me'
19/01/2007 09:12 - (SA)
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| Evita Bezuidenhout will launch her bid for presidency with the show Evita for President at the Spier Summer Arts Festival. (Diva Events) |
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Birgit Ottermann
Cape Town - Evita Bezuidenhout, former SA ambassador to Bapetikosweti and one of the most famous white women in South Africa, has caused quite a stir in the media when she announced her interest to run for South African presidency in 2009.
To answer all the questions, Tannie Evita decided to grace the media with her presence during a special press conference at the Metropole Hotel in Cape Town - complete with tea, coffee and koeksisters.
"I just love it here at the Metropole Hotel. They make me feel like a real queen," she gushed to the media. Dressed in her best outfit, with perfect make up and her favourite diamonds, she held the audience's attention with a big plastic toy gun in her hand.
"I got this gun from my five-year-old grandson, Nelson. My very first task as president would be to rid the toyshops of their toy guns. But, until then, my slogan will be: 'This is a democracy. This is a gun. Vote for me.'"
Evita's face on a postage stamp
So, how did it happen in the first place, that Tannie Evita decided to run for presidency? "My three beautiful grandchildren told me to get up and do something for this country. They are also very excited about the possibility that my face might feature on postage stamps one day."
Talking about her grandchildren, Evita got side-tracked for a moment. "You know I just love my three black grandchildren, they are so positive about our country. The young children of today don't have any baggage of apartheid. We should learn from their optimism." I just struggle to see them in the dark," she adds wistfully.
Evita says that she's asked over and over again why she wants to launch her bid for presidency on the stage at Spier. "Well, it's not so strange at all. Theatre and politics have always gone hand in hand. Look at US president Ronald Reagan who was a well-known Hollywood actor, and look at Arnold Schwarzenegger who is the governor of California now."
She also adds that as a white Afrikaner she is the perfect candidate for the presidency. "I am one of the few Afrikaners who can still remember apartheid. It was a horrible thing and as the president, I will definitely apologise for our past. However, I will not wash any feet - that's going too far. And anyway, someone stole my bucket from my garden recently."
'Helen Zille is doing a good job'
Evita adds that she will have to be in denial within 12 hours of announcing her bid to run for presidency. "Everyone who runs for presidency in South Africa denies it within 12 hours. Cyril Ramaphosa denied it within 12 hours, Tokyo Sexwale within nine hours and Tabo Mbeki is only in South Africa on short state visits every now and then."
Any claims that she might be running for Cape Town mayor as a stepping stone towards presidency, have been vehemently denied. "Definitely not. I think Helen Zille is doing a good job and she should stay in office. Whenever I drive past her office, her lights are always on.
You know, I asked her once why her lights are on all the time. She answered me that she never leaves her office, because she's too afraid they might change the locks.
"It is very important that people realise I will run my campaign independently and not as part of a specific political party," she adds.
Who would serve on her cabinet and what policies would Evita employ in Evita South Africa?
'I believe in BEE'
"I believe a leader should do what he does best. Therefore I will choose my cabinet around the kitchen table. I make a wonderful Bobotie. My choice will be based on trust and anyone who becomes a millionaire after three months can not be trusted."
"I also believe in BEE. It is based on a concept that we've already had in the old government. We just called it Broederbond Economic Empowerment and as you know it was hugely successfully.
"I will definitely have a Ministry of BEE but I don't want any 4x4's in my driveway, nor people who go to jail."
Education policy
Education is very important to Bezuidenhout and she has some innovative ideas to further education in South Africa. "I believe that parents should pay for their children's education up to Grade 12. And then, when they have completed Grade 12, the government will refund all the money as an investment for tertiary study. That should be a great incentive," she quips.
"I will also make language tax deductable. The more South African languages you can speak, the better. Communication is very important in our country."
Evita shared some interesting thoughts on the endangered white male in South Africa. "When I saw those South Africans waving the old SA flag at Twickenham, I just thought: 'Thank heaven they're there.' The wonderful thing for South Africa is that most of the racist white males are in London. It couldn't have happened to a nicer country!"
Tannie Evita's cabinet
Who would Evita choose to serve on her cabinet? Even though much can still happen until 2009, she does have some ideas."I would definitely keep Trevor Manuel on my cabinet. He is a very clever man - he acts like a black but thinks like a white."
However, there's not much hope for Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. "O dear, now that's an unlucky choice. She should rather become a potato farmer somewhere. But, I have to add, who would wants to be South Africa's Health Ministser in the first place. It's a tricky job. Therefore I am very much in favour of a revolving cabinet."
Evita refused to talk about her rumoured relationship with Jacob Zuma, but still referred to him as a good friend."He talks a lot of nonsense and has made some stupid mistakes, but I still regard him as a good friend. He even allows me to call him by his Zulu name, Innocent."
News24.com's final question to Evita was whether there would be any room for her old friend Pik Botha to make a comeback.
"Pik has always been my best friend," she answers thoughtfully. "But I don't think he would be interested to serve in a cabinet again. However, I trust him and I would always have him on the other end of the phone line as my personal advisor."
Pieter-Dirk Uys will present his Evita for President! show at The Spier Summer Arts Festival from 25-28 January.
On the net:
www.spierarts.org.za
- News24
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