DA leader John Steenhuisen at the Debate on 2022 State Of The Nation (SONA) at Cape Town City Hall on February 14, 2022 in Cape Town – Photo by Gallo Images / Jeffrey Abrahams
DA leader John Steenhuisen at the Debate on 2022 State Of The Nation (SONA) at Cape Town City Hall on February 14, 2022 in Cape Town – Photo by Gallo Images / Jeffrey Abrahams
John Steenhuisen has pulled no punches with his Human Rights Day speech, slamming the ANC for ‘entrenching human indignity’ since they assumed power in 1994. The DA leader tried to make his new line stick, too – and he is now referring to the government’s top brass as a ‘Poverty Cabinet’.
The Poverty Cabinet? Steenhuisen has his say
The opposition party has filed a motion of no confidence, which seeks to displace the entire Cabinet and replace them with new, better-suited ministers. Steenhuisen launched a three-pronged attack on Monday:
“Ramaphosa’s Poverty Cabinet only entrenches human indignity by over-taxing the poor to cover the cost of blatant government corruption, killing the South African economy with ill-conceived policies, and hindering basic services upon which the poor are desperately reliant. This is why we plan to get rid of South Africa’s Poverty Cabinet.”
John Steenhuisen
‘ANC are an obstacle to human rights’ – DA leader
The DA’s war on the Cabinet comes to a head next week, when Parliament will host a vote of no-confidence against Ramaphosa’s inner circle. Although it’s unlikely to succeed, Steenhuisen and his comrades only need 50% + 1 of the house to support their motion – which would be 201 MPs in a full National Assembly.
"Food inflation and the rising cost of living are not merely circumstantial. They are linked to rising fuel and electricity prices on the back of Ramaphosa’s useless, corrupt, and indifferent Poverty Cabinet." – @jsteenhuisen #HumanRightsDay #EndPoverty
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) March 21, 2022
But for now, the DA is using the public holiday to lambast the ANC for their inability to tackle poverty – and he even labelled our ruling party as ‘the greatest obstacle to human rights in this country’.
“Poverty is not an insurmountable obstacle to our country, but President’s Ramaphosa’s Poverty Cabinet is the greatest obstacle to human rights and dignity in post-apartheid South Africa.”
“They simply have to go. Today, on Human Rights Day, we appeal to all South Africans to get behind our vision of ending poverty in our lifetime, and the first steps is getting rid of South Africa’s Poverty Cabinet.”
John Steenhuisen
