10 quotes that sum up the “abuse” of Madiba’s legacy
In the lead-up to the local municipal elections, on 3 August, political parties have accused each other of using South African icon, Nelson Mandela, to promote their own interests.
Earlier this month, members of the Mandela family accused the Democratic Alliance (DA) of abusing the name of the late Nelson Mandela in a campaign advert. The DA used extracts of Madiba’s voice recordings in the advert.
The Mandelas claimed that while Nelson Mandela belonged to all South Africans, he was a former leader of the ruling party, the ANC.
“The ideology my grandfather embraced belong to the African National Congress collective, not anything to do with the Democratic Alliance. That is our position,” said. Mandla Mandela.
On Tuesday, the ANC accused the DA of callously using Mandela’s name after it launched its new election posters near Union Buildings in Pretoria, calling for South Africans to honour Madiba’s dream by voting for the DA.
BusinessTech looks at 10 quotes by political figureheads about Nelson Mandela’s legacy as the election trail reaches fever pitch ahead of next week’s polls.
- “It is good that he is respected as a global icon, but he was the first commander of uMkhonto we Sizwe in order to fight injustice.”
– Blade Nzimande, SA Communist Party general secretary
- “They [DA] lie and say Mandela is their hero. Mandela was never a hero of the National Party. It’s them who jailed him and took him to Robben Island for 27 years. They made him a prisoner.”
– Jacob Zuma, president of South Africa
- “The truth is that the ANC has changed, having to rely on insults to try and maintain support. It is not the party of Nelson Mandela. In fact, it has betrayed Madiba’s legacy.” –
– Phumzile Van Damme, DA national spokesperson
- “It is a glaring sign that the DA’s attempts to woo the black electorate are floundering and they will stop at nothing to ‘blackwash’ their chequered history as a whites-only party by thrusting a few token blacks into positions of leadership and appropriating even symbols that have always shunned them.”
– Zizi Kodwa, ANC spokesperson
- “uTata Madiba is our country’s national icon. As our nation’s first democratic president‚ his legacy‚ and the important democratic principles which he fought for‚ belong to all South Africans.”
– Refiloe Nt’sekhe, DA spokesperson
- “The sad truth is that the ANC is no longer the party of Nelson Mandela, and no longer the party our parents and families brought us up in. Zuma has directly contradicted and undermined Nelson Mandela, who fought for the freedom for all South Africans to choose who they vote for. He should be ashamed of himself.”
Lindela Tshwete, son of struggle veteran Steve Tshwete
- “The ANC of today has nothing in common with the ANC of Mandela, Sisulu and Tambo. It has now become the party of Zuma, the Gupta’s and Hlaudi Motsoeneng. That is why former President Thabo Mbeki refuses to campaign for the ANC. My question is – would Madiba be out on the streets campaigning for the ANC if he were alive today?”
– Mmusi Maimane, leader of the DA
- “The DA is entitled to invoke the heroism and statesmanship of icon Nelson Mandela. It does not need the permission of the ANC.“Mandela’s Struggle heroics progressed to domestic and global statesmanship.“He is a national asset whose memory should motivate all South Africans to pursue absolute freedom for all and in all its manifestations.”
– Dumisani Hlophe, faculty associate at the University of Pretoria
- “Were Nelson Mandela here today, I am sure he most certainly would say: ‘They have not let the revolution down.'”
– Cyril Ramaphosa, deputy president of South Africa
- “People say they want to vote for the ANC because of their love for Madiba, but voting for the ANC is voting for [Jacob] Zuma and the two are different men.”
– Julius Malema, EFF leader
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