DA accused of using people’s pain to score political points

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has been highly criticised on social media following the unveiling of its ‘ANC Tragedy’ billboard in Johannesburg on Wednesday. The billboard, which was unveiled with the slogan “The ANC is killing us”, had the names of dead Marikana miners, the Esidimeni victims and children who died after drowning in pit toilets in schools written on it. The party said it was “mourning” these “pointless” deaths.

“The ANC is harming and killing South Africa. When I say this, I don’t just mean they’re harming our economy and killing our dreams. I mean they are literally harming our bodies and killing us.

“We are here today to remember the 144 Esidimeni victims. These people died horrible, cruel deaths from starvation, hypothermia, dehydration and neglect. The ANC government here in Gauteng chose to deny food and basic care to hundreds of the most vulnerable, all in the name of saving money.

“Fellow South Africans, today we also remember the 34 victims of the brutal Marikana Massacre. On 16 August 2012, members of the South African Police opened fire on these 34 men, brutally shooting them – many of them in the back.

WATCH: Maimane unveils billboard listing names of ANC’s dead ‘victims’

“We are here today to mourn the tragic, pointless, unnecessary, untimely, ghastly deaths of all the innocent little children who have drowned in faeces in pit toilets at schools across the country,” said DA leader Mmusi Maimane before reading out all the names.

But South Africans were not impressed with the DA’s latest move and took to social media to voice their anger.

The party was accused of using people’s pain to score political points, while some said the billboard was “insensitive”, questioning if the DA even asked for permission to use the names. Others asked what the party had done for the people it claimed the ANC had killed.

Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina said the party only gave the ANC “free publicity” with its “stupidity”.

@Our_DA @MmusiMaimane did you get permission to publish the names of the deceased. What will the DA do for South Africans? This campaign indicate lack of ideas

— Mzwandile Masina (@mzwandileMasina) January 16, 2019

Your racist fellows kills black people everyday but we remain sensitive to their families and @MYANC will never publish their names without the permission of their families sies Desperate Alliance of Racists

— Mzwandile Masina (@mzwandileMasina) January 16, 2019

These were some of the reactions on social media:

https://twitter.com/siphelele_nguse/status/1085570270407081984

'ANC is killing us' – DA unveils billboard listing names of Marikana, Life Esidimeni victims,
Mmusi you are boring, no guts no glory, DA is twin brother of ANC under you, WP going right, you out pic.twitter.com/hDZNemjyLA

— Kajozulu (@MichnoZack) January 16, 2019

https://twitter.com/inspiredbybiko/status/1085569525242826753

https://twitter.com/Zafferology/status/1085568955299885056

Campaigning using people’s tragedy!

Well done DA! https://t.co/wFZkAocJIX

— Tumi Sole (@tumisole) January 16, 2019

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