The ”racist tantrum” thrown by Deputy Minister of Minerals and Energy Lulu Xingwana in Parliament will hurt black South Africans as much as whites by discouraging investor confidence in the country, Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon said on Friday.
In his weekly newsletter, published on the DA’s SA Today website, he said it is necessary for all to raise their voices against what Xingwana said, because ”the business community is silent and local newspapers hesitate to offer criticism”.
Speaking during debate on her department’s Budget vote in the National Assembly on Thursday, Xingwana attacked mining company Anglo American for appointing ”a CEO for whites and a CEO for blacks”, and diamond giant De Beers over its ”lily-white and male-dominated” board.
She also blasted local oil company Sasol for not moving fast enough on black economic empowerment and transformation.
Leon said while her party speaks of economic reforms, Xingwana’s outburst revealed race and power are the true priorities at the core of the African National Congress’s economic policy.
”There was talk of a new direction in South African economic policy this week, until Deputy Minister … Xingwana attacked Anglo American, De Beers and Sasol.
”Deputy Minister Xingwana, many South Africans will recall, set a new low mark for xenophobia last year when she attacked the DA’s Nigerian-born trade and industry spokesman, Enyinna Nkem-Abonta, telling him to go home.
”Yesterday [Thursday], she threw another racist tantrum, accusing South Africa’s largest companies of retaining too many white management staff.”
The government apparently believes it has the right to have a say in the affairs of private companies.
”And it also apparently believes that race is the only qualification that is important for senior management posts. Certainly that would seem to apply in the case of Deputy Minister Xingwana herself.
”A glance at her CV … reveals the deputy minister has never worked in the minerals and energy sector, never held a government post dealing with minerals and energy prior to being appointed … and has never completed an academic degree beyond the level of postgraduate diploma.
”Despite her own obvious lack of qualifications, Deputy Minister Xingwana imagines that she can tell global companies whom to hire and fire!”
The deputy minister ”does not know or care that her racist statements actually hurt black South Africans as much as white South Africans, by discouraging investor confidence in our country”.
”So, it is necessary that all of us raise our voices. None of us is too small to make a difference.” — Sapa