Madam Deputy Speaker, on behalf of the ANC I want to place on record that the attitude displayed by the DA's Gauteng regional leader, Solly Msimanga, towards community members at the recent Protection of State Information Bill hearings in Mamelodi is indicative of the condescending and insensitive manner with which the DA views the suffering of our people.
At the hearings, Mr Msimanga accused and insulted some of those present by suggesting that they attended the hearings only because they were promised food and T-shirts. He and those of his ilk in the DA showed contempt for our people by questioning the intelligence of our people. In their insulting opinion, the people present at the hearings did not attend because they cared about their country and were interested in issues that affected them, but attended simply because they could be bought with food and clothing.
This kind of attitude and disregard for the majority of the people of our country is evident when one examines how the DA approaches critical issues affecting our people. [Interjections.] A case in point is the recent HIV and Aids testing lottery. How crass and insulting to reduce a sensitive and deeply concerning issue to a competition.
The DA grandstands and appears as though they care for the wellbeing of the people of this country, but when their masks slip, the real DA is exposed, where they show just how little they care for the people and how much they care about protecting their elitist privileges. I thank you, Deputy Speaker. [Applause.]