By Doreen Mokgolo
DA leader John Steenhuisen said the ANC’s failure to hold uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party leader Jacob Zuma accountable for the 780 fraud, corruption, and racketeering charges against him over the last 15 years is catching up with them.
Steenhuisen, speaking at a media briefing at the IEC Results Operation Centre in Midrand on Friday morning, said if Zuma had been in jail where he belongs, he wouldn’t need a political party but would be behind bars in a correctional services facility.
“I have no sympathy for Cyril Ramaphosa and his political party,” said the DA leader.
“Their spinelessness to deal with him has led to him being a political force that has come to wipe them out in places like KZN and other parts of the country.”
The five-month-old MK party, a breakaway from the ANC, led in KZN on Friday morning with 572,792 votes, followed by the ruling party, which had 244,201 votes.
Steenhuisen said he is delighted that the DA has finally been able to break the ANC majority after 30 years.
“South Africa is no longer an ANC South Africa,” he said, and other voices would have to be heard to determine the future.
“The people of South Africa are punishing a government that has failed to deliver services and has pushed people into unemployment. This is how accountability takes place in a democracy.”
Steenhuisen said that with 58% of the votes counted by Friday morning, they are happy that the media, who wrote them off as the main opposition, is proving wrong.
“We were told RiseMzansi, EFF, and Bosa were going to knock us out as the main opposition party, but the tide is out, and the DA has grown support and is the main opposition,” he said.
By mid-morning, nationally, the ANC was leading with 41.96%, followed by the DA with 23.27%, MK at 11.66% and the EFF with 11.34%. The IFP was well behind at 2.79%.
Pictured above: John Steenhuisen.
Image source: Doreen Mokgolo
