'Racist, degrading and humiliating' - Ramaphosa to Steenhuisen on Pep comments
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President Cyril Ramaphosa told DA leader John Steenhuisen he was hurt by his “inherently racist, humiliating, degrading and demeaning” remarks.
He was responding to comments Steenhuisen made last month while expressing discontent with Gauteng crime wardens, referring to them as “drunkards”. “What did [Gauteng premier] Panyaza Lesufi do? He took your tax money to buy ill-fitting Pep stores uniforms for untrained cadres and pretended they were 'crime wardens'. What kind of person pulls a drunkard out of a shebeen, gives him a uniform and a weapon and then unleashes him into a community?”
He was criticised for the comments at the time, but earlier this month Steenhuisen said he stood by what he said, adding his children also shop at Pep stores.
Concluding his response to debate on his state of the nation address in parliament, Ramaphosa said he was disappointed with Steenhuisen’s comments.
He was responding to comments Steenhuisen made last month while expressing discontent with Gauteng crime wardens, referring to them as “drunkards”. “What did [Gauteng premier] Panyaza Lesufi do? He took your tax money to buy ill-fitting Pep stores uniforms for untrained cadres and pretended they were 'crime wardens'. What kind of person pulls a drunkard out of a shebeen, gives him a uniform and a weapon and then unleashes him into a community?”
He was criticised for the comments at the time, but earlier this month Steenhuisen said he stood by what he said, adding his children also shop at Pep stores.
Concluding his response to debate on his state of the nation address in parliament, Ramaphosa said he was disappointed with Steenhuisen’s comments.
