The Office of the ANC Chief Whip is disappointed by the reaction of the Democratic Alliance to the details released by the Presidency in relation to the benefits provided to the spouses and dependent children of the President of the country.
The DA leader Helen Zille's criticism of the ‘size of the President's family' and that it costs the state ‘exorbitantly' is distasteful and demonstrates cultural intolerance of the worst type.
A large family, according to Zille, "makes corruption almost inevitable". This kind of condescending attitude has no place in a democratic South Africa.
It would seem that, based on these comments, the DA submitted the question to the Presidency not for the purpose of exercising oversight, as parties in Parliament should, but to mock and belittle the culture of the President. This is regrettable!
The R15 million that the Presidency has budgeted is consistent with what was allocated to the spouses and children of former heads of state.
It would be incorrect to expect the Presidency to allocate benefits only to one spouse or to only certain dependent children. All spouses and children of the President enjoy equal status in terms of the law and constitution and are therefore entitled to equal benefits.
Those who have been making a lot of noise about the cost to the state of the President's family are guilty of cultural chauvinism. They find themselves at odds with the South African Constitution, which guarantees the right of all South Africans to express their beliefs, practice their culture and speak their language. The state has no business discriminating against anyone, including the President, for doing so.
It seems Zille would want her cultural norms and practices to be imposed on all South Africans.
South Africans have closed the curtain on the era when our people were refused to practice their cultures as they were deemed backward and uncivilised. It is for this reason that the overwhelming majority of South Africans expressed confidence in President Jacob Zuma and what he stands for during the 2009 elections.
We cannot allow Zille to take us back to the era that was repulsive, ugly and terrifying by consistently mocking the cultural practices of our people.