Zuma's comment offends DA
2004-03-15 15:21
Cape Town - The Democratic Alliance on Monday called on Deputy President Jacob Zuma to retract and apologise for "offensive" religious remarks he made while on the campaign trail in Gauteng on Sunday.
DA national chairperson Joe Seremane said Zuma had told a crowd of people "the ANC will rule South Africa until Jesus comes back".
"His implication is that it will be in power forever," Seremane said in a statement.
Apart from anything else, this was extremely offensive to Christians - Zuma should not be "so loose" with the Christian faith.
But Zuma's statement was more than just in poor taste; it raised serious questions about the ANC's understanding of, and commitment to, liberal democracy in South Africa.
"It is the language of a one-party state. A government may enjoy a majority of popular support, but unless it is willing to allow the opposition to come to power through the ballot box, then it is a dictatorship not a democracy," he said.
Seremane said Zuma's statement echoed that of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe who told his supporters in 1982 that, "as clear as day follows night, Zanu-PF will rule in Zimbabwe forever. There is no other party besides ours that will rule this country".
Zanu-PF's majority survived until 2000, but when the people turned against Mugabe, he launched a campaign of vote-rigging, intimidation and state terrorism to hold on to power, Seremane said.
"The ANC will lose their popular majority within the next five to ten years," Seremane said.
"So what is Zuma saying? That if they cannot win a majority through free and fair elections, they will hold on to power through force?
"Zuma's statement - and the undemocratic mindset it reveals -emphasises the importance of the opposition doing well in this election. The ANC clearly believes it has a divine right to rule," Seremane said.
- SAPA