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DA leader Mmusi Maimane came out guns blazing today, saying enough is enough with regard to racism, in what was his fiercest stance on the matter since coming to office.
Walking on to the podium today with Vusi Mahlasela’s “Weeping,” Maimane was met with wild applause as he settled in to give an impassioned plea for South Africans to rebuild the nation.
The speech, made at the iconic Apartheid Museum, saw Maimane speak frankly on the issue of race which continues to taint the Democratic Alliance.
“We as black people are made to feel inferior... there are black people who say I have done well because I have married a white woman. White South Africans are the benchmark. South Africans, democrats, how can this be?” Maimane said on the lack of progress since 1994 regarding race relations.
“For every incident of overt racism, there are more casual ones. People laughing at how some people pronounce things in English, people talking around braais like it is 1970, or we all know someone who starts a conversation with, ‘I’m not racist but....'"
The DA has repeatedly come under fire for alleged racism within its ranks, as well as for failing to deal harshly with the incidents.
This weekend the party announced Black Like Me founder Herman Mashaba as its mayoral candidate for the hotly contested Johannesburg metro, but the move appeared to have done nothing to simmer down tensions.
Mashaba’s comment that he no longer wanted to be classified as black added more fuel to the fire.
Turning his attention to within his party, Maimane called for a firmer stance.
“No DA member must ever turn a blind eye to racism, no matter how subtle or coded it may be. We must call racists out even if it makes us uncomfortable.
“Racists are not welcome in the DA. If you are thinking of voting for the DA and you are racist, please don’t vote for us. We are not for you,” Maimane preached to wild applause.
The party leader also announced an anti-racism pledge that all members would have to sign. Anyone who contravened the pledge would see their membership immediately revoked.
He added that DA structures at all levels would also now have recruitment targets set for them. These targets would see people prepared for public office.
“I am proud that the DA is the most diverse party in our country’s history. We are the most diverse, but we are not diverse enough.”
The targets would be closely monitored by the federal executive.
