26/09/2025
Zille Dismisses Genocide, DA Councillors Duck Accountability
By: Junior Editor – Leeyah Ebrahim, Fordsburg Independent
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has once again found itself at the center of outrage, following remarks by federal council chair Helen Zille, who brazenly stated that “Genocide is a very big word.”
Zille’s comments, which align disturbingly with Israel’s propaganda machinery, have ignited fury across South Africa—particularly among Muslim communities who watch in horror as daily images of devastation and death unfold in Gaza.
South Africans, who still carry the scars of apartheid, know injustice when they see it. The razing of homes, the bombing of schools, the murder of children, the starving of millions under siege—if this is not genocide, then what is?
The DA has repeatedly described its policy as supporting a negotiated, viable two-state solution while condemning terrorism and acknowledging Israel’s security concerns. At the same time, some critics say the party’s public tone and some senior leaders’ statements have tended to be more sympathetic to Israel than to Palestinian claims — a posture that becomes politically charged in South Africa, where public opinion has strong pro-Palestinian currents and the ruling party (ANC) has taken a robust pro-Palestine stance.
The DA’s Position: Firm With Israel, Silent on Oppression
While Zille dismisses genocide, the DA’s broader posture is clear. The party has repeatedly signaled unwavering support for Israel while offering hollow talk about “peace.” But peace cannot exist in a land where one side has fighter jets, and the other has no food, no water, no medicine, and no rights.
The DA’s silence is deafening. Even when pressed, two of its Muslim representatives in Johannesburg—PR Councillor Muhammed Alex Christians and the newly appointed political head for DA Jhb South Africa, Sergio Eesa dos Santos—have refused to respond to questions from the Fordsburg Independent.
As junior editor, I personally reached out for comment. I was ignored. What are they hiding? How can Muslim leaders within the DA remain silent while Palestinian blood stains the streets of Gaza, while mothers and fathers wail over the lifeless bodies of their children, while hospitals are turned into graveyards?
Who Are These Leaders?
- Sergio Eesa dos Santos: Recently welcomed as the DA Jhb South’s political head, dos Santos is no stranger to the constituency. A resident of Suideroord, he served as ward councillor for Ward 54 from 2011 to 2019 before becoming a Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL). He currently serves as the DA’s Shadow MEC for Education in Gauteng. Despite his prominence, dos Santos has chosen silence on one of the greatest human rights issues of our time.
-Muhammad Alex Christians: A PR councillor in Johannesburg, Christians is one of the DA’s few Muslim representatives. Yet, when given the opportunity to speak for justice and to represent the anguish of the community he claims to serve, Christians has remained mute. Why? What is he shielding? Whose interests does he serve?
Apartheid Echoes: The Parallel We Cannot Ignore
For South Africans, Palestine is not a distant struggle—it is a mirror. We know what apartheid looks like: pass laws, restricted movement, land theft, forced removals, racial segregation, military violence. Palestinians live it every single day. Checkpoints choke their freedom. Settlers seize their homes. Children as young as 10 are imprisoned. Families starve as aid trucks are blocked.
And yet, the DA—born in post-apartheid South Africa—aligns itself with the very forces of apartheid in another land.
Zille’s Words, the DA’s Betrayal
Zille’s infamous line—“Genocide is a very big word” —will live in infamy. Another of Zilles remarks proves her one sided pro Israel stance when she says, “I don’t know if what is happening in Gaza can be called a genocide. What I do know is that Khamas is doing all it can to obliterate the State of Israel.” The reality is that Israel is doing everything it can to obliterate the Palestinian existence at any cost, murdering thousands of innocent civilians.
It is a betrayal of South Africa’s moral compass, a slap in the face to the memory of those who fought and died to end apartheid here at home.
Where is the conscience of the DA? Where are its Muslim councillors? Why is there silence from Sergio Eesa dos Santos and Muhammad Alex Christians? Are they too afraid to speak? Or do they fear the wrath of their party more than the cries of the oppressed?
The Question That Remains
South Africa has always stood with Palestine. From Mandela to Tutu, our leaders declared that their freedom was bound up with ours. Yet today, the DA stands on the wrong side of history—defensive, dismissive, and disturbingly aligned with the architects of apartheid.
And so, we must ask: what are they hiding?
Until Sergio Eesa dos Santos, Alex Christians, and Helen Zille are willing to face the truth, South Africans will not stop demanding answers. Because while the DA debates terminology, Palestinians bury their children.
We call upon all Muslim councillors and political representatives within the Democratic Alliance to break their silence and make their positions clear. Do you stand by Helen Zille’s denial of genocide in Gaza, or do you stand with the oppressed people of Palestine? The community you claim to represent demands answers — silence in the face of injustice is complicity.
https://communitynews.co.za/archives/2986
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