Congress Of South African Trade Union’s(Cosatu) provincial secretary Tony Ehrenreich has written an open letter to Democratic Alliance(DA) leader Helen Zille, saying inequality in the Western Cape is higher than it was in 1994. Ehrenreich has challenged Zille to a televised debate where the two will talk about the increasing levels of inequality in the province and promised to use the opportunity to expose Zille’s “racist tendencies.”

In the letter Ehrenreich is questioning DA’s performance in the province, he is calling DA anti ANC vote party and and Zille ineffective leader. DA has been governing Western Cape since the 2009 general elections, it has been criticized by many people and called a white party based on the number of people of color who hold high positions in the organisation. In 2009 DA released the Western Cape candidates list and there were only two black candidates out of the 22. For the upcoming elections the number has lightly improved and out the 27 candidates only five are black in the list.

Ehrenreich claims the debate would help people of the Western Cape make informed decisions in the upcoming elections which will take place on 7 May. The issue of racism in DA and in the province has been an ongoing problem and living in the province and I have had my own share of racism experiences,but I dont blame the political party. I blame the person who is being racist towards me and deal with it. Our politicians need to debate about such things and come up with solutions to better the country not to make another political party look good in the public’s eye.

South African politicians are good at pointing the opposition’s failures but fail to come up with the solutions for the benefit of the voters and those with no voice. It is impossible to grow by bringing someone else down, you can only grow if you improve yourself.

Zille should accept the invitation to a televised debate as people would like to hear her side of the story with facts that inequality in Western Cape is higher than it was in 1994. Our politicians should stop playing the ‘racism card’ as it does not unite but divides the nation. The debate wouldn’t harm anyone. Since Zuma declined the invite to a public debate by Helen Zille, why can’t we have the debate between Mr Ehrenreich and maybe throw in Rorisang Tshabalala from Agang Youth Forum and Julius Malema in the debate for entertainment.

Sources: bdlive, news24,iol

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