The controversial Oppenheimer family has come under heavy criticism as several African parties launched their manifestos on Saturday in preparation for the May 29 general elections.
The PAC held its launch in Orlando East, Soweto vowing to reclaim land should be voted into power with party leader Mzwanele Nyhonso coming out strongly against the Oppeheimers following revelations by the IEC that they have funded four political parties to the tune of just under a hundred million rand.
The four are; DA, Action SA, Rise Mzansi and BOSA
Nyhonso dismissed any notions of the funding being for supporting democracy. “Anyone wishing to support democracy would donate to parties without discriminating.
What we are seeing now is the sponsoring of the formation of parties at every turn and we know this is meant to divide the black vote. Who gives fifteen million to a party that’s not even in parliament. PAC will fight this nonsense,” said Nyhonso.
“ we are having so many DAs. There’s DA of Steenhuisen ( John) there’s DA of Herman Mashaba, DA of Mmusi Maimane and of Rise Mzansi, all established by one family. Daughters, nephews and grandchildren all have millions to give away, we see what they’re trying to do,” said Nyhonso.
Delegations from among others the African Transformation Movement, Ace Magashule’s African Congress for Transformation attended the PAC manifesto launch in line with ongoing solidarity among outfits that identify as African.
Echoing Nyhonso, ATM Leader Vuyo Zungula accused the Oppenheimer family of using its wealth to try and manipulate the outcome of the upcoming poll in a bid maintain apartheid ownership patterns saying leaders of the current ruling party ( ANC) have been doing the bidding of capital during the three decades in power.
“ it doesn’t start now with the funding of political parties. The likes of tata Mandela and other leaders of the liberation struggle were in prison for long and when they came out, having never had jobs were suddenly having big expensive houses because they were paid by the same people to keep the majority out of the economy. We still don’t have access to the strategic sectors of the economy. There’s no difference between the economy in 1994 and today, minorities still own everything,” said Zungula.
The ATM leader said the parties that declared the donations would have concealed them if they had the power to do so. “ They did not declare because they’re good people but because the law forces them, as Africans we should unite against these people,”he said.
Elsewhere in Soweto the EFF launched its Gauteng manifesto addressed by party leader Julius Malema who said also went for the Oppenheimer family accusing it of being behind the formation of most of the new parties.
Malema warned the family that its money will go to waste as none of the outfits that received donations would win elections. “ “Herman Mashaba can’t speak for a reason, honourable Ndlozi if Herman Mashaba comes to Parliament if he’s lucky, The man can’t speak and when you have 1 seat in Parliament you are given 3 minutes Mashaba is going to stand there and say honourable speaker” EFF leader Julius Malema
“let’s unite black people to fight against the openheimer money,” he said.
This week one of the newly formed centre right projects announced it will not be contesting the 2024 national and provincial elections.
Change Starts Now launched a few weeks ago by businessman Roger Jardine citied the difficulty of having to secure endorsements in the form of signatures of registered voters for it to be placed on the ballot paper, a requirement that other parties are also subjected to.
“ 29 May, we are going to take our country from the Oppenheimers. We are going to take our country from the Ruperts,” said Malema.
The Oppenheimer family and some of the other wealthy people who have consistently been funding the same centre right parties have not explained the rationale behind funding several outfits that have identical policies and values.
The Oppenheimers made their money through diamond mining and are among the biggest beneficiaries of apartheid. The family was previously found to have been subjected African workers to inhumane conditions and have never paid reparations.