President Zuma Attempts to Twist Freedom Marches with Claims of Racism

While many South Africans – of all colours and political leanings – have been marching and celebrating the resurgence of a Rainbow Nation that cares for its country and its fellow man… President Jacob Zuma has put a different spin on it, doing his utmost to tarnish what was a demonstration of unity against one allegedly corrupt leader.

Instead of acknowledging that the protest marches were personal – calling for him to resign or be recalled by his party, the African National Congress (ANC) – Zuma chose instead to try and depict the marches as racist.

Using Chris Hani’s Memorial – on the 24th anniversary of the struggle hero’s assassination – the President aired his views on the marches that moved a nation:

“Comrade Chris Hani believed in a non-racial society. In his memory, we must continue building a non-racial society and fight racism wherever it rears its ugly head.

“We have sadly not yet succeeded in building the non-racial society that we envisaged. There is a resurgence of racism in our country. It is also clear that racists have become more emboldened.

“The marches that took place last week demonstrated that racism is real and exists in our country.

“Many placards and posters displayed beliefs that we thought had been buried in 1994, with some posters depicting black people as baboons. It is clear that some of our white compatriots regard black people as being lesser human beings or sub-human.

“The racist onslaught has become more direct and is no longer hidden as was the case in the early years of our constitutional democratic order.

“Racists no longer fear being caught or exposed.

“In the fight to combat racism, we should look beyond only overt racist utterances and public displays that we saw during the marches last week.

“We should also look at the ideological and institutional machinations that continue to give racism more traction.

“Racism is a gross violation of human rights and plunged this country into decades of conflict in the past. We cannot allow and assist racists to take our country backwards.”

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) called on South Africans to “resist the confusion and convolution Zuma wants to create about the marches.

“We must all come out in even bigger numbers and call for his resignation, precisely for the reasons that with him as president, anti-black racism will not be addressed because he only looks out for the selfish interests of his stomach.”

The EFF acknowledged that some placards which carried racist messages should be condemned but said it asks Zuma to be “consistent and genuine in his observations”.

EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Quintin Ndlozi said it is Zuma’s leadership that has allowed racism to proliferate and that his condemning it  when displaced at marches calling for his removal means “anti-black racism matters to Zuma only when it calls for him to step down from the privilege of State office that he occupies and that allows him to loot our public purse. He only cares because it affects his own privilege.”

Ndlozi said: “The reality is: it is precisely his “house nigger” role of protecting, promoting and advancing a neoliberal economic order that has kept white privilege and black indignity intact…”

The Democratic Alliance (DA) said Zuma’s comments confirm “he does not care about the people”.

DA spokesperson Phumzile Van Damme MP said by “slamming these mass marches across the country and claiming that they were inspired by racism clearly shows that he is out of touch with the South African public’s very valid anger over his destructive leadership.

“As a direct result of Zuma’s midnight reshuffle, our country has been downgraded by two ratings agencies to junk status.

“His irrational actions will have a massively negative effect on the poorest in our country who are mostly black. The fact that he cannot or chooses not to see this only confirms that Zuma governs like black lives do not matter.

“His comments also undermine legitimate protests and exposes how little he cares about South Africans and their concerns.

“If Zuma refuses to hear the people’s cries, we must make sure he does. We have the power to do so and must march en masse so that he will have no choice but to hear us.”

Several opposition parties will be marching together to the Union Building tomorrow – Wednesday 12 April 2017 – to make it clear in one united voice that “enough is enough, Zuma must go”.

The united opposition parties have posted this poster of why South Africans should march tomorrow:

Zuma reacts to People’s Freedom March at Chris Hani Memorial

24th Anniversary of the assassination of #ChrisHani …. 10/04/93 pic.twitter.com/JyxvY8LL8H

— Leanne Manas (@LeanneManas) April 10, 2017