Tensions in multi-party charter after Steenhuisen’s PEP comments
DA leader John Steenhuisen was criticised by ActionSA interim national chair Michael Beaumont and broadcaster Redi Tlhabi.
ActionSA’s interim national chair, Michael Beaumont. says comments made by Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen about Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s crime wardens do nothing to advance the image of the multi-party charter.
Beaumont said in a post on X, that Steenhuisen’s language had no room of expression in the multi-party coalition agreement.
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‘ACTIONSA MUST BE BIGGER, STRONGER’
“This is precisely why ActionSA must be bigger and stronger within the multi-party charter for South Africa so that this kind of language does not find expression in coalition governments,” he said.
Steenhuisen has come under severe criticism following his comments while on the campaign trail in Pretoria at the weekend. See post below.
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STEENHUISEN COMES UNDER FIRE
This is precisely why @Action4SA must be bigger and stronger within the Multi-Party Charter For South Africa so that this kind of language does not find expression in coalition governments. https://t.co/2XxsFSvuBp
— Michael Beaumont (@ME_Beaumont) January 28, 2024
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STEENHUISEN CRITICISES LESUFI’S CRIMES WARDENS
The DA leader slammed Lesufi for the way the crime wardens were deployed.
“What did Panyaza Lesufi do? He took your tax money to buy ill-fitting PEP Stores uniforms for untrained cadres and pretended that they were ‘crime wardens’. What kind of person pulls a drunkard out of a shebeen, gives him a uniform and a weapon, and then unleashes them onto a community?” Steenhuisen said.
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REDI TLHABI SAYS DA LEADER’S TWEET IS RACIST
Broadcaster Redi Tlhabi also slammed Steenhuisen for his comments.
“Many of us have criticised Lesufi’s populism and lack of evidence-based interventions. But you lot and racist tropes! I will give you a clue… Pep stores (mostly low-income black clients) Drunkards (every recruit is black) Shebeen ( black, township word for pub). Awful. And racist,” she wrote.
Many of us have criticised Lesufi's populism & lack of evidence- based interventions. But you lot & racist tropes! I will give you a clue..Pep stores (Mostly low income Black clients) Drunkards (every recruit is Black) Shebeen ( Black, township word for pub). Awful. And racist. https://t.co/QK2IZMC7i1
— Redi Tlhabi (@RediTlhabi) January 27, 2024