Herman Mashaba eff da amabhungane

Mashaba hits out at DA members who deny white privilege

The Joburg Mayor has criticised some members of his party.

Herman Mashaba eff da amabhungane

For South Africans who follow the political madness in our country, Sunday represents the day when a bombshell story drops in one of the papers. From #GuptaLeaks to investigative reports on state capture. This time, it was an internal look at a recent DA meeting.

That internal look came in Sunday’s City Press as it claimed that DA leader Mmusi Maimane was “attacked” by some white DA members for his comments about white privilege.

The party leader had said at a rally that white privilege needs to be confronted. He even used his wife as an example.

“When we speak the truth, there is such a thing that we must confront of white privilege and black poverty. She had the privilege of knowing that one day she will go to university, one day she will live in a house, one day she won’t be afraid of crime and murder in communities. That is what I call white privilege.”

While some DA members have come out an said the meeting had a “debate” on the issue and was not an attack on Maimane, City of Joburg Mayor Herman Mashaba has spoken out against some DA members.

Writing an op-ed for News24, Mashaba asked why would these DA members look to challenge Maimane’s remarks? According to the City Press reports, those members were worried about the party “haemorrhaging” white votes.

Mashaba pointed out that recent by-elections across SA clearly show that the DA is continuing to keep minority voters.

“I have found a number of white South Africans deeply offended by the notion that their votes are predicated on the idea that the party should be silent on the notion of privilege and poverty along racial lines,” Mashaba said.

“If anything, what recent by-elections have demonstrated is the need for our party to break the trust deficit that exists between it and black voters. One has to ask how the sentiments of these critics of Maimane’s words aid this endeavour?”

With the 2019 national elections now around the corner, Mashaba had an answer as to why some DA members “choose to pretend this is some racial new direction”.

“It can only be about the kind of self-interest that permeates politics at the time when politicians need to re-apply for their jobs.  I think it is time that the silent majority of our party speaks up, rather than allowing a small group to do so in their name, with sentiments that do not embody their values for our country.”

The quote speaks for itself, folks.