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‘Lame duck’ Didiza won’t be able to rein in ANC’s ‘hyenas’‚ opposition parties say

Thoko Didiza is committed “to building on a record of rising unemployment‚ endemic corruption‚ inadequate service delivery and rampant crime”.

That’s how her Democratic Alliance (DA) competition for the Tshwane mayorship‚ Solly Msimanga‚ on Friday summed up Didiza’s first public comments since the announcement of her candidacy by the African National Congress on Monday.

Also read: Thoko Didiza speaks about violent resistance to her candidacy as Tshwane mayor

“After hiding from the residents of Tshwane for the past four days while the city burned‚ it appears that Thoko Didiza has made her first appearance in Tshwane this morning‚ and we welcome her to the City‚” he said.

He noted that Didiza had on Thursday praised “outgoing mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa…for the job he had done and pledged to ‘build on the work of those who have come before...’ ”.

“To the people of Tshwane this means Didiza is committing to building on a record of rising unemployment‚ endemic corruption‚ inadequate service delivery and rampant crime‚” Msimanga said.

“Her belief that Sputla [Ramokgopa] has done a good job shows that she clearly does not understand the problems facing the people of Tshwane.”

He went to say “Didiza is a lame duck” who “will not be able to unite the severely divided ANC local structures”.

The violence in Tshwane‚ although blamed by the ANC on criminality‚ had its roots in dissatisfaction over Didiza’s imposition on the region‚ whose branches had put forward the names of Ramokgopa and his deputy Mapiti Matsena for the job.

The Congress of the People’s (Cope) Dennis Bloem said on Friday that is “very clear that some members of the ruling party did not approve Didiza as their mayoral candidate for Tshwane‚ but the leaders are forcing the members and supporters to accept this candidate against their will”.

“People are dying just because of the hyenas. It is so sad‚” Bloem said of reports that the violence had claimed five lives.

“The ANC‚ its alliances and the state security minister is claiming that they know who is behind the violence‚ so why are they not arresting them?

“The ruling party leaders must dip their heads in shame for the hardship they cause to innocent residents of Tshwane. People are suffering because of their self-centred‚ stubborn dictatorship.”

 

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