ANC Party Zille

DA Federal Council chair Helen Zille has labelled the ANC as criminals. Photo: Flickr

ANC and DA coalition? It’s a ‘NO’ from Helen Zille – here’s why

DA Federal Council chair Helen Zille has made it clear she is not keen on going into a united government with the ‘criminal’ ANC party.

ANC Party Zille

DA Federal Council chair Helen Zille has labelled the ANC as criminals. Photo: Flickr

Helen Zille is directing some sharp criticism at the ANC. In so doing, the DA Federal Council chair dashed any hopes of a coalition with the ruling party.

But that’s not all, as Zille also took the opportunity to rebrand the ANC by labelling them as criminals. A good play on words. The latter follows her recent declaration on social media in which she shot down the opposition.

READ MORE: ‘Lose the wokus-pokus pronouns’: Helen Zille angers LGBTQI+ community

“They are all indeed the ‘African National Criminals’.”

DA Federal Council chair Helen Zille

Although Zille refrained from mentioning names, some interpreted it as a jibe at President Cyril Ramaphosa. Zille questioned the ANC’s ethical standards, or lack thereof, saying there were no decent people to work with left.

Zille dismisses ANC and DA coalition

Her comments also trail the leaked audio in which Zille seemingly puts her weight behind a coalition between the two parties in 2019. The veteran politician, however, denies making the call heard in the recording.

Later, speaking on CapeTalk, she shot down the audio. She claimed it was an altered version of her original comments.

“It was unknown to me I was being recorded. They carefully edited out the context of that discussion. They took a short clip, waited for two years, and now the context is completely lost. It was released a week before the elections as if it means something.”

Helen Zille denies suggesting a coalition with the ANC

Below is a summary of her utterances in the leaked audio:

“Instead, I’d make tough demands on [President Cyril] Ramaphosa’s ANC. I would make strict conditions for them than go into coalition with anyone else. I think that should be our aim in the next election [in 2021]. 

“We want 20 per cent of South Africans. However, there is only eight per cent of white voters. So, 15 to 20 per cent [would] give us a strong block in coalitions.”

Excerpt of Helen Zille’s conversation with former DA caucus leader Funzela Ngobeni in 2019

ALSO READ: Live in Langa? Helen Zille says you’re ‘100 x better off’ than other poor people