/ 15 May 2009

Zille accuses media of manufacturing ANC row

Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Helen Zille had harsh words for the media on Friday for ”manufacturing a major row” this week between her and the African National Congress (ANC).

Zille, who has been involved in a spat with the ANC over her all-male executive in the Western Cape, said she had been quoted ”entirely out of context” on comments she made about President Jacob Zuma placing his three wives at risk of contracting HIV.

”When various ANC affiliates use the most vile sexist slurs against me various commentators seek to establish a ‘moral equivalence’ between our contesting positions by quoting — entirely out of context — one sentence from the middle of a letter I wrote to a newspaper responding to ANC attacks,” she wrote in her weekly newsletter.

”In this way the media can accuse us equally of ‘mud-slinging’ and ‘descending into the gutter’. They can also manufacture a ‘major row’, as if both sides, equally, are spoiling for a fight.”

She accused commentators and the media of ”hunting in their customary pack”.

”They have swallowed whole the ANC’s narrative that filling quotas is the most important criterion for establishing a government. They are now trying to force me to sing the same tune.”

She was surprised that the ”male gender commissioner” had remained silent about ”the extreme sexism” shown to her by the ANC Youth League and Umkhonto weSizwe War Veterans Association.

The two ANC affiliates responded to Zille’s comment on Zuma by accusing her of sleeping with her all-male executive.

”Both accused me of appointing men to my Cabinet in return for sexual favours,” Zille said.

”Contrast the commissioner’s silence on this issue with his vocal threats to take me to court to impose quotas on the Western Cape Cabinet.”

Zille said she ”appreciated” the fact that the ANC distanced itself from the worst of the statements.

She said, however, that Zuma’s 62-member Cabinet was designed to repay political debts.

”There are now 62 Cabinet members — including deputies,” Zille wrote.

”They will cost the taxpayers at least R1-billion per year, and counting.

”Zuma’s Cabinet is designed to repay political debts, settle scores, balance factions, meet quotas and co-opt some opponents.”

She said the DA had a ”mere” 10 MEC positions in the province to undertake the ”nigh impossible task” of fixing the chaos the ANC had left behind.

”The many women in top positions in the DA know they are there because they add value, not to fill a patronising quota. ‘Big men’ certainly do not control the DA.” — Sapa