Racist tendencies in the DA very worrying if true: Mbeki responding to Maimane's resignation

Former President Thabo Mbeki has responded to a string of high-profile resignations in the Democratic Alliance (DA), by emphasising the need for all political parties to promote a non-racial agenda.

He says he understands the resignation of former DA leader, Mmusi Maimane, in particular, to be linked to racism. 

"It would be a matter of the greatest concern if it were, in fact, true that our country’s Official Opposition, the DA, is going through a leadership crisis because of a hegemonic ascendance of a racist tendency which seeks to assert policies to that end, thus to sustain colonial and apartheid social relations,' says Mbeki in a statement. 

Maimane resigned as leader of the DA on Wednesday and was joined by the party's federal chair, Athol Trollip. It came shortly after Herman Manshaba's resignation as mayor of Johannesburg in reaction to the election of Hellen Zille as the DA's new federal council chairperson. On Thursday, Maimane also resigned as a Member of PArlaiment (MP) and from the DA as a whole. In light of Maimane's resignation as leader of the opposition in Parliament, the party’s chief whip John Steenhuisen subsequently also stepped down as his term of office is linked to that of the party leader. The DA is now set to elect an interim parliamentary leader next week. 

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Responding to the series of developments at the official opposition, Mbeki says South Africans will gain absolutely nothing from any negative movement in any of our political parties towards policies based on racism.

"The DA has an imperative obligation to reassure the nation, practically, unequivocally and transparently, that it is conducting and will conduct itself in terms of all its internal and public policies and programmes in a manner which truly helps to transform South Africa into a non-racial country<" says the former President. 

"This is an obligation which binds all the political parties which serve within our legislatures, without exception."

According to Mbeki, "Those who organise and act to frustrate the realisation of the goals detailed in our Constitution must understand that thereby they commit a criminal act against both the ordinary people in our country and the post-apartheid legal order which has sought to defend the interests of all our people without regard to race, class, gender, sexual orientation or creed!"