CAPE TOWN, June 13 (Xinhua) -- The ruling African National Congress (ANC) on Tuesday rejected the so-called political settlement announced by the Democratic Alliance (DA) in relation to its former leader Helen Zille's views about colonialism.
Such a settlement "is unadulterated defense of white supremacy and privilege", the ANC said in a statement emailed to Xinhua.
Earlier on Tuesday, Zille apologized for saying earlier that colonialism's legacy was not all negative.
Through discussions with her successor Mmusi Maimane, Zille said she recognized the offence she caused and the need to apologize.
Under a settlement within the DA, Zille will remain Premier of the Western Cape Province, but will not participate in party structures and will limit her communication on DA issues.
Zille is not the first leader of the DA to praise and pray for the return of apartheid colonialism and other systems which oppressed the black majority in this country, the ANC said.
The ANC said the DA's settlement to this issue "is an unprincipled, hypocritical and meaningless token offered to what is hoped is a gullible public and once again unmasks the true character of the DA as a racist party, constituted of unrepentant and unreformed bigots led by a caretaker leader with no real power", the ANC said.
There is no political will within the DA to rid the party of racism because indeed the party itself is founded on racism and the protection of white privilege, ANC national spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said.
Zille is guilty by all accounts of blatant racism as she has proven herself time and time again to be anti-poor with disturbing views on the black and poor people of this country, said Kodwa.
"She is not fit to remain the Premier of the Western Cape," Kodwa said.
Whilst the DA will routinely crisscross the country in an effort to woo black voters, they are unwilling to wean themselves off their traditional white and conservative base, the spokesperson said.
