Patricia de Lille: ‘Don’t allow racists to speak on behalf of us’

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De Lille, on Tuesday, responded to the DA’s controversial election posters in Phoenix that read “the ANC called you racists, the DA calls you heroes”.

Speaking on eNCA, she said sex or skin colour should not stop one from standing against all forms of racism or unjust treatment. “In GOOD, we depart from the point that you don’t need to be black to fight against racism. You don’t need to be a woman to fight against gender violence and gender bias. You don’t need to be gay to fight against homophobia,” said De Lille. “We all need to fight against these evils. So the minority of racists, most of them you find in the DA, we should not allow those racists to speak on behalf of us.”

 

The DA came under fire for the posters, with many accusing the opposition party of fuelling racial tensions in Phoenix after 36 people were killed in the area during unrest and looting in July. The DA later took the posters down and issued an apology. “In my sincere effort to honour the bravery and heroism of law-abiding citizens who were left to fend for themselves during the July riots and insurrections, the posters have regretfully caused hurt to some people. I am deeply sorry and apologise for this,” said DA KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Dean Macpherson.

 

According to the opposition party, the posters were meant to honour those who stood up to protect their property during unrest. TimesLIVE ran a poll asking readers what they thought of the DA’s decision to take down its Phoenix posters. Most, or 42%, said the party should have stood its ground and not removed them. Thirty-two percent said the damage was already done and called for heads to roll, and 26% said it was the right move.

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