Politics
Bongani Hans|Published
March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma has become embroiled in a dispute with RISE Mzansi ahead of the local government elections.
The party has accused her of spreading misinformation by claiming that one of its ward candidates is a foreign national and a defender of illegal immigrants.
The party also accused the anti-illegal immigration movement of allegedly advocating xenophobia and Islamophobia.
RISE Mzansi’s City of Johannesburg mayoral candidate Lukhona Mnguni and party president Songezo Zibi were recently seen in videos circulating on social media accusing Ngobese-Zuma of spreading misinformation about Johannesburg’s Ward 58 candidate for the party, Aziz Ally.
Mnguni accused her of being a cyberbully, and Zibi after sharing their candidate's video.
“Aziz, just like Jacinta, was born in KwaZulu-Natal; he is a South African,” said Mnguni.
According to Mnguni, Ngobese-Zuma’s alleged attack on Ally was sparked by a "certain person, with a foreign English accent", who was allegedly seen hanging RISE Mzansi posters with Ally’s face while calling on voters to vote for him.
“The person seen hanging posters for Aziz and motivating people to vote for Aziz is a resident in Ward 58 and has been in South Africa for 18 years; he is a documented foreign national.
“The problem we have here is the xenophobia that transforms into Islamophobia, and we are also confronted with misinformation and disinformation because of the Constitutional Court judgement,” Mnguni said.
He was referring to the July Constitutional Court ruling on the asylum seekers registration, which sparked violent protests in Durban and Johannesburg this week.
March and March spokesperson Sandile Dube said the movement is fully behind its leader’s comment, which he said invoked debate on the increase of foreigners in the country.
“Her role as a leader of March and March is to invoke thinking by pronouncing things, as long as she is not harming anyone's constitutional rights, as she has freedom of expression.
“She is talking to the future, saying that the moment you allow more legal or illegal foreign nationals to take over in South Africa, the population will obviously change, and we are looking at a new population, which will not be the ordinary population we are used to.
“She is invoking a point of debate and discussion,” he said.
Dube accused RISE Mzansi of being agitated with March and March as part of its election campaign.
Mnguni said RISE Mzansi intended to report Ngobese-Zuma to the Electoral Commission of South Africa.
Belinda Belseck, RISE Mzansi spokesperson had not respond to enquiries by the time of publication.
“What Jacinta and those who support her cannot do is have it both ways.
“You cannot have a problem with undocumented foreign nationals, then when documented foreign nationals are trying to partake in the life of the community, you still have a problem.
“It is quite clear that then what the problem is, you are the problem,” Mnguni said.
Mnguni said Ngobese-Zuma was inferring and agitating people against Ally, who is a South African from KwaZulu-Natal, without knowing Ally's documentation status.
“You are agitating people against him, trying to suggest that he will participate in fraudulent activities of dishing out South African IDs.
“In this Ward 58 where Aziz is standing, there are over 20 different nationalities [and] some have become naturalised South Africans,” he said.
He called on Ngobese-Zuma to respect the country’s laws.
“Jacinta herself has just been complaining that people are encouraging others to harm her, and she has gone to open a case, but she is also agitating people against our own candidate.
“There must be consistency in how we behave. The cause that Jacinta stands for is noble and must be debated, but she must not do cyberbullying,” Mnguni said.
He said Ally’s winning of the ward would not be a victory for illegal immigrants.
Zibi said, “He (Ally) is allowed, as a South African, to run as a candidate.
“He is not an immigrant, legal or otherwise; he is a South African like you and me, born and bred here; he is a native South African,” said Zibi.
He said the man seen putting up Ally’s poster is a local businessman who has been legally in the country for a long time.
“That person has a South African residence.
“We would not have somebody who is here illegally in our campaign,” he said.
Zibi said people should be careful of Islamophobia and that the fact that someone has a Muslim name does not mean he is not a South African.
“We cannot get hysterical when someone with a Muslim name runs for office in South Africa.
“When somebody is here legally, and they are South African residents, they are allowed to participate in South African life within the legal limits that are there,” said Zibi.
He called on leaders to check their facts before making allegations.
“If you are going to suggest that someone is not here lawfully, you must say ‘I know this for a fact and for the following reasons’, otherwise, you are engaging in something else, not a fight against illegal immigration,” he said.
bongani.hans@nationalmg.co.za