ANC confirms that Xala is wrong

8 August 2012

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

ANC confirms that Xala is wrong

I have purposefully waited patiently for the reaction by the ANC’s Xolani Xala to the article in which I was quoted.  In mid-July The South African reported my criticism of Xala’s proposal.  Xala proposed that the government prohibit voting rights for South Africans living abroad who do not declare their income to the South African Revenue Services.

Xala chose to react in the social media.  When asked to provide the details of the proposal, Mr Xala responded with insults.  Throughout the long conversation on this matter Mr Xala resorted to being personal and disrespectful to everyone who participated in this conversation.

I await the details from Xala with interest.  However, I suspect that the wait for this information may well be forever.  I say this because at the end of July Mr Xala was reprimanded within the ANC structures by representatives that sit on the IEC’s multi-party National Party Liaison Committee.

In a letter from Luthuli House, Mr Xala was advised that this proposal was not accepted at the ANC Policy Conference.  The authors of the letter correctly advised Mr Xolani Xala that “the Constitution guarantees every SA citizen the right to vote” and that “it is not the ANC’s intention to disenfranchise any South African”.

The ANC confirmed in their letter that thanks to Mr Xala, confusion had been created among overseas voters and that “it would be unconstitutional to link tax and votes”.

I now respectfully and eagerly look forward to Mr Xala clarification on the ANC’s position among overseas voters as requested to by Luthuli House.

Yours Sincerely,

Manny de Freitas MP

Shadow Home Affairs Minister

Member of Parliament for Johannesburg South

Democratic Alliance

(Unsigned as transmitted electronically)