Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane said political party leaders were provided with security at Thursday’s Freedom Movement rally in Pretoria as death threats were common.
“As you see we have leaders from other political parties so we had to put in appropriate security‚” he said.
Maimane told supporters at the rally that South Africa was witnessing the dying kicks of the old order‚ and the rise of a new struggle.
Among those attending the rally at the Caledonian Stadium in the capital were COPE leader Mosiuoa Lekota and UDM leader Bantu Holomisa. Also present were Giet Khosa‚ from the National Religious Leaders Council‚ Wayne Duvenhage from OUTA‚ Prince Mashele‚ representing academia‚ and civic leader and former assistant to the late Nelson Mandela‚ Zelda la Grange.
Mandela’s eldest granddaughter‚ Ndileka Mandela‚ was also there.
Maimane said that leaders of political parties had to look over their shoulders and take precautions as death threats were common. He‚ however‚ did not don the bulletproof vest he wore on the Johannesburg leg of an anti-Zuma march on April 7 at Mary Fitzgerald Square.
“When you are the leader of the opposition you must recognise that there is a price for that and we always receive death threats‚” he said. “It is not the first time...certainly it was unique on the day of the march (April 7) obviously because there was a direct threat to my life personally. So I will continue to watch what happens. We have got to be as careful as possible but it does not deter. This is a journey and I am committed to fight‚” he said.
“How can Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma get security and yet many leaders of parties do not? That is the question you must ask‚” he added.
The police have been criticised for providing Dlamini-Zuma with taxpayer-funded VIP protection‚ with an alleged robbery attempt near a boutique hotel in Houghton‚ Johannesburg‚ used as a justification.
TMG Digital
Security provided for opposition leaders at Pretoria rally as death threats 'common'
Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane said political party leaders were provided with security at Thursday’s Freedom Movement rally in Pretoria as death threats were common.
“As you see we have leaders from other political parties so we had to put in appropriate security‚” he said.
Maimane told supporters at the rally that South Africa was witnessing the dying kicks of the old order‚ and the rise of a new struggle.
Among those attending the rally at the Caledonian Stadium in the capital were COPE leader Mosiuoa Lekota and UDM leader Bantu Holomisa. Also present were Giet Khosa‚ from the National Religious Leaders Council‚ Wayne Duvenhage from OUTA‚ Prince Mashele‚ representing academia‚ and civic leader and former assistant to the late Nelson Mandela‚ Zelda la Grange.
Mandela’s eldest granddaughter‚ Ndileka Mandela‚ was also there.
Maimane said that leaders of political parties had to look over their shoulders and take precautions as death threats were common. He‚ however‚ did not don the bulletproof vest he wore on the Johannesburg leg of an anti-Zuma march on April 7 at Mary Fitzgerald Square.
“When you are the leader of the opposition you must recognise that there is a price for that and we always receive death threats‚” he said. “It is not the first time...certainly it was unique on the day of the march (April 7) obviously because there was a direct threat to my life personally. So I will continue to watch what happens. We have got to be as careful as possible but it does not deter. This is a journey and I am committed to fight‚” he said.
“How can Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma get security and yet many leaders of parties do not? That is the question you must ask‚” he added.
The police have been criticised for providing Dlamini-Zuma with taxpayer-funded VIP protection‚ with an alleged robbery attempt near a boutique hotel in Houghton‚ Johannesburg‚ used as a justification.
TMG Digital
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