THE ANC in eThekwini has called for action to be taken against a DA ward councillor, accused of making “racist and divisive” comments.
In a widely circulated voice note, DA ward 71 councillor Fatima Ismail was purportedly heard making prejudiced remarks, claiming that Black people should not be employed for an upcoming water pipe repair project in Chatsworth.
In the voice note, a woman can be heard saying: “Nobody is getting a job, the only people that is gonna get the job is the Indian people because the black people, these people wanna select…”
Mlondi Mkhize, the ANC’s regional spokesperson in eThekwini, strongly condemned the remarks, which “flagrantly undermine the constitutional principles of non-racialism, unity, and social cohesion”.
“Such statements are regressive and wholly unacceptable, particularly coming from a public representative entrusted with the responsibility of serving all communities equally, regardless of race or background.”
Mkhize said the ANC has now called on the DA leadership to take swift and decisive action against Ismail, and to publicly clarify their stance on this matter.
“Any failure to act will serve as confirmation that racism and discrimination continue to thrive within their organisation. The ANC remains steadfast in its commitment to fostering unity and creating opportunities for all South Africans based on skills and qualifications, rather than race.
“We call on the community of ward 71 to reject such divisive rhetoric and to work collectively toward development that is inclusive and beneficial to all residents. The ANC in the eThekwini region will be engaging with relevant stakeholders to ensure this incident is thoroughly addressed and that concrete measures are implemented to prevent similar behaviour by public representatives in the future,” he said.
Ismail referred the POST to the DA provincial leadership.
Sithembiso Ngema, the DA’s deputy leader in KZN, said: “Unlike the ANC in eThekwini, which has proven by their councillors’s comments that Indians should ‘go back to Bombay’, as well as the unwillingness of them to take action, the matter is currently under consideration by the DA’s provincial executive committee in the province.
“In addition, the DA is a party that will hold people accountable in instances where they have been proved to have done wrong doing. We respect the rights of our people and we always believe that people must be treated equally,” he said.
Political reaction:
Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi, leader of the Minority Front, said ward councillors did have the prerogative of who got the allocated local jobs.
“For a long time, the DA has run predominantly Indian wards and have been allocating jobs to local blacks to make good on their election promises. However, on the other hand, efficiency in jobs requires a hands-on councillor and this has been lacking,” she said.
Thakur-Rajbansi said the remarks may sound appeasing to local Indians due to the vote outcomes of general elections in May, the app and with the local government elections approaching.
“Wards need to be retained by the DA. However, appeasement politics does not last. There is high unemployment among the Indian and Black African residents. People should be given these coveted local jobs based on a needs assessment. This should be monitored by the ward committee members, so that ‘loose statements’ by councillors can be avoided and we will then see local development and social cohesion growing together,” she said.