The Phala Phala saga, along with high unemployment, poverty, hunger, and lack of service delivery that has led to protests, were equated to treason by Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen on Thursday in response to President Cyril Ramaphosa's remarks on the main opposition party’s election advert.
Last Sunday, the DA released its election advert, portraying a burning South African flag. According to the party, it was to symbolise the nation’s “deteriorating state and warning of further decline and instability”.
Ramaphosa condemned the advert and said it was treasonous.
“The burning of the national flag in a political advertisement is treasonous. Our country's flag is a sacred symbol in our national life,” Ramaphosa said this week.
“It is despicable for a political party to destroy a symbol of our unity and existence as a nation.”
Addressing the conclusion of the DA’s country-wide ‘Rescue South Africa Tour’ on Thursday at the Zone 6 venue in Soweto, Steenhuisen said Ramaphosa was the last person to mention the issue of treason.
“If there is one person in this country who is guilty of treason against the people of South Africa, it is Cyril Ramaphosa,” he said.
According to Steenhuisen, Ramaphosa committed treason by helping former president Jacob Zuma to sell the country to the Guptas and also served as the “chairman of the corrupt cadre deployment committee that captured our state”.
The leader of the official opposition said Ramaphosa and the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party were “traitors”.
“He committed treason against our flag when he stuffed thousands of undeclared American Dollars into his Phala Phala couch! He committed treason against our flag when he consigned over 30 million people to poverty and over 10 million people to unemployment!” Steenhuisen said.
“He committed treason against our flag by plunging millions of children into hunger and malnutrition while he spends R139 million for food on board his VIP jet! Cyril Ramaphosa and his corrupt ANC are traitors against the people of South Africa.”
The advert was also met with mixed reactions from the public.
Steenhuisen urged people to vote for the DA nationally and provincially in the May 29 elections.
To steer the country towards improvement, Steenhuisen urged people to cast their votes for the DA in the 2024 national and provincial elections on May 29.
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za
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