/ 23 February 2009

‘Name the time, place’: DA challenges Malema to debate

The Democratic Alliance Youth on Sunday challenged African National Congress Youth League president Julius Malema to a public debate.

The Democratic Alliance Youth on Sunday challenged ANC Youth League president Julius Malema to a public debate.

”We are challenging Malema to a public debate … Just name the time and place Julius,” said DA Youth national leader Khume Ramulifho, in a statement.

This comes after a Sunday Times story that Malema called DA leader Helen Zille a ”racist, colonialist and imperialist”, at an ANC rally held at Cato Manor, Durban, on Saturday.

Malema also said Zille’s deputy Joe Seremane’s ”role is to smile at the madam every time”.

The DA said Malema had bitten off more than he could chew by attacking its leaders.

”In classic Malema-style his ridiculous diatribe reveals more about his own inadequacies than it does about the intended victims of his attack.

”In response to his vacuous and insulting remarks about Zille and Seremane I would like to formally challenge Malema to a public debate,” said Ramulifho.

DA commitments
Meanwhile, Zille announced 10 commitments to South Africans if the party is voted into power in the April 22 election.

Speaking at a public meeting in Kwa-Nobuhle in the Eastern Cape on Sunday, Zille said the DA would implement policies to help grow the economy and create jobs.

The party would also ensure quality education by focusing on reading, writing and calculating.

Zille said performance targets would be put in place for teachers and schools and good performance would be rewarded.

”We will crack down on crime and strengthen the criminal justice system by expanding the police force to 250 000 competent officers and employing 30 000 more qualified detectives,” she said.

The party would also bring back the recently dissolved Scorpions crime-fighting unit.

Zille said the DA would introduce a basic income grant and accelerate the fight against HIV/Aids through prevention and treatment programmes.

It would improve the quality of public healthcare by training and recruiting more nurses and doctors and by applying sound management systems.

She said the DA would upgrade informal settlements and ensure that housing subsidies reach families in need.

It would also safeguard the environment and provide a transport system that was safe, reliable, affordable and environmentally friendly.

The DA would clean up politics and put power back into the hands of citizens by giving them the opportunity to directly elect their president, premier and mayor, said Zille.

”We will build a society that has a place for all by promoting and protecting the language and cultural heritage of all the rainbow people,” she said.

”Hold us to these promises. They are our bond of trust. They are our covenant with you. We have drawn up this contract because our mission as a party of government is to rebuild the bond of trust between government and the people.” – Sapa