Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi.
Image: Vathiswa Ruselo/Sowetan
Gauteng ANC chairperson and education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has accused the DA of being “obsessed” with him after he turned down a debate with Helen Zille on the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill.
The DA's federal council chairperson invited Lesufi to publicly debate the controversial bill after accepting an invitation from Pretoria FM.
Taking to social media, the DA accused Lesufi of “chickening out” of the debate.
“The ANC's Gauteng chairperson, Panyaza Lesufi, has chickened out of a debate with the DA on his disastrous proposed BELA Bill. The DA will keep leading this fight against the ANC's plan to nationalise our schools,” said the party.
🐔 The ANC's Gauteng chairperson, Panyaza Lesufi, has chickened out of a debate with the DA on his disastrous proposed BELA Bill. The DA will keep leading this fight against the ANC's plan to nationalise our schools. pic.twitter.com/u9tI3YSrv2
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) August 8, 2022
Lesufi clapped back, accusing the DA of being “obsessed” with him.
He said he would not engage the party because he had done so already with DA shadow minister of education Baxolile Nodada on the SABC programme The Watchdog. This was later confirmed by the show's host Vuyo Mvoko.
“But this obsession,” said Lesufi, with a flushed face emoji.
“Didn’t I debate this with their so-called shadow minister of education on your show? Unless he misrepresented the DA or he was not representing the real DA.”
Hi @vuyo_mvoko didn’t I debate this with their so called Shadow Minister of Education on your show? Unless he misrepresented the DA or he was not representing the real DA.
— Panyaza Lesufi (@Lesufi) August 8, 2022
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