Helen Zille clarifies KZN ‘thrown to dogs remark’

Democratic Alliance (DA) federal council chairperson Helen Zille has told The Citizen that her remarks about KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) being “thrown to the dogs” were taken out of context.

During a media briefing about the Gauteng provincial government on Wednesday, Zille said regardless of what happens in their negotiations with the African National Congress (ANC) in Gauteng, the DA will not pull out of the KZN’s provincial government of unity (PGU).

“We are not going to bring KwaZulu-Natal down if they don’t agree to the document terms in Gauteng, we are not going to do that, we are not irresponsible people. We don’t want to hand KwaZulu-Natal to the MK and EFF. It will be a total disaster for that province.

“So, we are not about to do that. There are levers that we are going to use, obviously, there are, but we are not going to say the people of KwaZulu-Natal can be thrown to the dogs, not at all,” Zille said.

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‘Insulting black people’

In a letter, the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party Youth League (MKYL) in KZN claimed the remark by Zille insulted people from KZN.

“The MKYL KZN wishes to send its warning shots to… Helen Zille. We are living in a time whereby rejection of white dominance does not make us vulnerable anymore, therefore [Zille] may not at any point call the people of KwaZulu Natal  Dogs,” said the MKYL.

“The province of KwaZulu Natal has chosen the party they want in government,” the MKYL said.

‘That’s an idiom, standard English usage’

Zille said her comments refer to an English idiom and were taken out of context.

“This is just manufactured outrage. That’s an idiom, standard English usage,” said Zille.

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has since appointed his new Members of the Executive Council (MECs) after two abrupt postponements.

His new Cabinet comprises seven ANC MECs and three MECs from the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Patriotic Alliance (PA) and Rise Mzansi, despite the ANC receiving only 34% of the votes in the recent elections.

Lesufi’s Cabinet, however, excluded members of the DA after the party announced it would not form part of the PGU after failing to reach an agreement with the ANC.

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