Why only black DA marchers, Maimane, Twitter asks

A group of DA supporters, led by leader Mmusi Maimane, on Thursday braved the rain to march through the streets of Saxonwold in Johannesburg to protest against “state capture by the Guptas and Jacob Zuma”.

Maimane made speeches against the Gupta family and President Jacob Zuma at various points along the route.

“Our message is clear: we reject the capture of our country by the rich and the corrupt, and we want real change. South Africa needs a new beginning, ushered in by a new government committed to fighting for the poor and the jobless, not the rich and the connected few.

“We need a new government that is committed to our nation’s new struggle – the struggle for access to jobs,” said Maimane at the march.

The party agreed it would not go closer than 900 metres to the Gupta compound, popularly known as the “Saxonwold Shebeen”, but it seems they did not heed this and stood with placards outside the high walls of the sprawling estate.

Twitter was quick to point this out, saying Maimane had double standards for apparently not practising what he preaches.

Last year, the DA leader condemned Equal Education after posting a video on social media of the organisation saying it was “in full force” outside the home of Minister of Education in the Western Cape Debbie Schafer to demand safe schools.

Maimane said he found the organisation’s actions “outrageous and dangerous”.

“Whatever the issue, marching to someone’s house is wrong and dangerous,” he said.

At the time, people criticised him for his words while his own party in 2012 marched to President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla homestead.

Twitter also asked the DA leader why there were no white people at the march, judging from the pictures that were circulating on social media. However, Maimane responded, blaming the ANC for the comments.

“Today the ANC, like Zuma, has resorted to divisive rhetoric and race-baiting to divide SA for its own selfish benefit,” he said.

But Twitter is still not having any of it, saying blacks marched on the streets while whites sat in parliament.

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