Democratic Alliance chief whip John Steenhuisen on Saturday challenge ANC Tshwane mayoral candidate and National Assembly House Chairperson Thoko Didiza to explain her “pro-Zuma, pro-corruption voting record in Parliament” to the people of Tshwane and South Africa.
“Thoko Didiza, who has been imposed as the ANC’s mayoral candidate in the capital city at [President] Jacob Zuma’s behest, has served as a Member of Parliament in the National Assembly for some time and been party to and supportive of a number of worrying decisions taken by the House,” Steenhuisen said in Pretoria while campaigning with DA Tshwane mayoral candidate Solly Msimanga.
These included voting in support of the “whitewash Nkandla report which effectively sought to replace the public protector’s report and thereby undermine the Constitution”. This was the subject of a scathing judgment by the Constitutional Court.
She had voted against the DA’s motion to impeach Zuma following the Constitutional Court’s determination that he violated his oath of office. This was a vote against the Constitution and in support of Zuma and corruption.
Didiza had remained silent and issued no condemnation, as a House Chairperson, when members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) were allowed to come into the House and assault Members of Parliament in 2014. This was also declared to be unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court.
She had also remained silent and issued no condemnation, as a House Chairperson, when the ethics committee was turned into a kangaroo court by the African National Congress to target opposition members. This had also been the subject of a court ruling.
Didiza had further remained silent and issued no condemnation, as a House Chairperson, when the ANC and its affiliates attacked and belittled the public protector throughout the Nkandla process.
And she had voted against the DA’s amendments to increase money allocated for extended public works programme (EPWP) jobs, drought relief, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), and anti-gang units in the SAPS.
“The DA acknowledges that Ms Didiza has performed better than her colleagues when chairing the House,” Steenhuisen said.
“But Tshwane doesn’t need a good chair; they need someone who will stick to their principles and defend their rights. On this measure Ms Didiza has been sorely lacking. She has put Jacob Zuma and the ANC first.
“We hope that Ms Didiza will use this opportunity to explain her pro-Zuma, pro-corruption record to the people so that they can know the whole truth and nothing but the truth,” he said.
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