DA rebrands Saxonwold ‘Zuma’s capture site’

A group of DA supporters braved the cold and rain on Thursday morning to march with DA leader Mmusi Maimane through the streets of Saxonwold.

Maimane made speeches against the Gupta family and President Jacob Zuma at various points along the route, which the party agreed would not go closer than 900 metres to the Gupta compound, popularly known as the “Saxonwold Shebeen”.

However, it seems that they did not heed this and stood with placards outside the high walls of the sprawling estate.

The posters declaring the spot “Zuma’s Capture Site” are poking fun at the fact that this is what the North West provincial government’ monument is informally called. It was unveiled yesterday to commemorate the place where Zuma was arrested by apartheid authorities during the struggle before he was sentenced to 10 years on Robben Island.

Correctly known as the Groot Marico Heritage and Arrest Site, it was formally dedicated to the liberation heritage struggle and to the contribution to the freedom of the oppressed in South Africa by the countless activists who crossed through the Zeerust/Lobatse border into exile.

The heritage site tells the story of Zuma and 45 other activists who were intercepted by security police at Groot Marico.

Zuma has, more recently, however, long been accused of facilitating the “capture” of the state by his friends the Guptas.

Yesterday, Zuma’s opponents said he deserved no monument in his honour with the tarnished legacy that he would leave behind, including his alleged involvement in state capture.

That was the general consensus yesterday when a six-metre-tall monument to Zuma was unveiled in Groot Marico in  North West. Protesting opposition parties were dispersed with stun grenades, rubber bullets and a water cannon.

The DA and EFF said the money used to build it could have been put to better use to ensure delivery of services. North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo said the cost of building the monument on the site where Zuma had been arrested was under R2 million.

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) said Zuma should not have a monument dedicated to him as he was not worthy of the honour.

The Groot Marico Heritage and Arrest Site is dedicated to the liberation heritage struggle and to the contribution to the freedom of the oppressed in South Africa by the countless activists who crossed through the Zeerust/Lobatse border into exile.

The heritage site tells the story of Zuma and 45 other activists who were intercepted by security police at Groot Marico leading to them serving prison terms on Robben Island.

North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo said when the apartheid regime unleashed its oppression, there was a need for the men and women to volunteer to fight against against the apartheid system.

#DAMarch Phumzile v Damme says they are marching to Gupta house because it's the "headquarters of corruption" #SABCNews

— A Greta Thunberg Stan Account (@missbolani) October 5, 2017

#DAmarch Outside the Gupta compound in Saxonworld today. pic.twitter.com/St7XpR7cih

— POWER987News (@POWER987News) October 5, 2017

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