<\/p>\n
Durban \u2013 The ANC described the DA\u2019s use of Ahmed Kathrada while referring to the Employment Equity Amendment Act during a rally on Saturday in Chatsworth, Durban, as shameful.<\/p>\n
DA leader John Steenhuisen delivered a speech in the predominantly Indian community and called for the community to launch a new defiance campaign against the act by voting for the DA at the polls.<\/p>\n
In his speech, Steenhuisen said those present should \u201cconsider what Uncle Kathy would say about the ANC\u2019s new racial quota law\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation yesterday (Wednesday) not only distanced itself from remarks made by Steenhuisen, but the Foundation says its late patron and Struggle leader would have been appalled that his \u201cIndianness\u201d was being used for narrow political gain.<\/p>\n
ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri yesterday (Wednesday) said it was \u201cshameful for the DA to invoke the spirits of our ancestors and the stalwarts of liberation who were incarcerated\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth Madiba and uncle Kathy were incarcerated at Robben Island by the same laws and systems that were put in place by the predecessors of the DA,\u201d she told the SABC.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday you have to ask yourself why the DA finds it easy to use the icons of liberation, who stood for non-racialism, non-sexism and a democratic just and humane society.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy is it that they can\u2019t invoke the spirits of their own ancestors who institutionalised the apartheid system? It is for the public to judge for themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said Kathrada stood against what the modern day DA stands for.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn fact he will be turning in his grave for his name to be associated with an effort to undermine the Employment Equity Amendment law which is not seeking to exclude Indian and Coloured members of our community from the labour market.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is seeking to further transform the labour market.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Kathrada Foundation said that while it appreciated the acknowledgement to Kathrada\u2019s contribution to the Struggle, it wondered where was this appreciation when the stalwart died, as not a single national DA leader attended his funeral. It added that the DA also failed to ever engage Kathrada to better understand his political views and life.<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout this, one wonders how the DA can even attempt to claim to know what would be his responses to current issues,\u201d the foundation\u2019s statement read.<\/p>\n
THE MERCURY<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Durban \u2013 The ANC described the DA\u2019s use of Ahmed Kathrada while referring to the Employment Equity Amendment Act during a rally on Saturday in Chatsworth, Durban, as shameful. DA leader John Steenhuisen delivered a speech in the predominantly Indian community and called for the community to launch a new defiance campaign against the act […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[14393,2475,14394,14395],"class_list":["post-180232","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-politics","tag-039shame","tag-anc","tag-da039","tag-kathradas"],"yoast_head":"\n