'Please Don't Call Me a Foreigner' Didiza urges the Community

Didiza

Didiza expresses her mind on the reaction after her nominationa as the Mayyoral candidate, “I feel part of the community, even with the latest incidences, which I do not think reflect the feelings of the community of Tshwane,”

She says she feels welcome in Tshwane despite the chaos caused this week by anger at her nomination as the mayoral candidate.

Amid protest in Tshwane following the announcement of former minister Thoko Didiza as the ANC’s mayoral candidate instead of current first citizen of the city Kgosientso Ramokgopa, Didiza said on Thursday that she does not feel alienated.

“I feel part of the community, even with the latest incidences, which I do not think reflect the feelings of the community of Tshwane,” said Didiza, who has lived in Pretoria for more than 20 years, at an ANC Gauteng media briefing to introduce its mayors in Johannesburg. She stressed that she did not feel like a foreigner in Tshwane.

When asked how she would work with ANC leaders in the region, Didiza replied: “The ANC remains the centre. The consultation between comrades in the regional executive and the province would be on a continuous basis.”

Appearing relaxed, Didiza told The Citizen: “We have said as the ANC, and we continue to say, we regret there has been a loss of life as well as loss of property.”

Residents in Tshwane and surrounding areas went on the rampage earlier this week, looting shops, saying the ANC could not bring a Zulu to lead them. The ANC in Tshwane is said to be divided between supporters of ANC regional chairperson and outgoing mayor Kgosientso “Sputla” Ramokgopa, and his deputy chairperson Mapiti Matsena.

At the briefing yesterday, ANC national executive committee (NEC) member Aaron Motsoaledi called on the ANC to fight tribalism within its ranks whenever it reared its head.

“One of the founding principles of the ANC by our forefathers in 1912 was to fight the demon of tribalism,” Motsoaledi said. “Anybody who brings in tribalism is stabbing the ANC in the heart.”

He said the first three premiers of Gauteng were not people from Gauteng – Tokyo Sexwale originated from Ga-Mashashane in Limpopo; Mathole Motshekga is from Bolobedu in Limpopo and Mbhazima Shilowa comes from Olifantshoek in Limpopo.

Motsoaledi, who is also the health minister, said nobody raised these issues about whether a person was Shangaan speaking or Pedi speaking. However, said Motsoaledi, whether Didiza came from outside Tshwane was not the main issue.

“This is not about politics, it is about bread and butter [issues],” Motsoaledi said. “There are people who believe if the present mayor goes away, they are going to lose jobs and certain things.”

ANC Gauteng chairperson Paul Mashatile said the ANC did not nominate mayors through public meetings. “There is a process the ANC engages in where the regional executive sent names to the provincial executive committee (PEC),” Mashatile said.

“The PEC finalises them and the NEC endorses. “The process to nominate comrade Thoko Didiza as a mayoral candidate followed the same process.”
Source: Citizen