ANC CALLS FOR HARSH CONSEQUENCES FOR PEOPLE WHO DIVIDE THE NATION

12 December 2018

The African National Congress (ANC) has denounced the reckless comments made by the Black First Land First (BLF) leader Andile Mngxitama at a rally in Potchefstroom.

The ANC views Mngxitama's outburst and threats to the lives of other South Africans as an attempt to set us back to the dark ages of apartheid. The rant about "killing white people" shows an extent of his ignorance to the history of this country.

The movement is disgusted at racist statements made by Mngxitama hurling racist diatribe against white people. Over the years, the ANC as the leader of society has been advancing social cohesion to create a nation that is non-racist, non-sexist and democratic. We call for harsh consequences for anyone who tries to divide our people 'n this country. Every citizen's rights to human dignity are protected in the constitution. To this end, the ANC calls on the South African Human Right Commission to conduct an investigation into the conduct of the BLF leader on violation of human rights. His comments clearly incite violence in South Africa.

The ANC continues to fight against any form of the racism and veiled attempts to divide our nation. We call on all South Africans to isolate those people who continue with their divisive slurs in threatening the lives of others. Social cohesion is embedded in the ANC's very core mission of building a "united democratic, non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous South Africa. The ANC is unwavering in its stance that all those involved in any racist acts and utterances must face the law of the land.

The ANC believes that as a nation, we need to learn about each other's practices, respect the right to freedom and be tolerant of each other. The ANC understands that vulgar and offensive language drags us back to the crude apartheid past and undermines the hard work we have done in building social cohesion.

Statement issued by the African National Congress, 12 December 2018