The ANC cannot be trusted to regulate racism
6 January
The civil rights organisation AfriForum said today that government and the ANC could not be trusted to regulate racism in South Africa, as some of the country’s greatest racists held senior leadership positions in the ANC. This follows after the ANC argued in Parliament that existing legislation is inadequate to prevent racism and that stricter legislation should be approved that would see racist remarks result in criminal records or even imprisonment.
If the ANC’s proposed legislation were to be applied consistently, it would mean the imprisonment of numerous ANC and government leaders, said Ernst Roets, Deputy CEO of AfriForum. “The problem is, however, that the ANC remains grossly inconsistent where the fight against racism is concerned.”
“For example, the ANC argued in Court and before the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) that there was nothing wrong with singing songs the likes of ‘Shoot the Farmer’ and ‘Kill the Boer, kill the farmer’ at ANC rallies. Ms Lulu Xingwana, Minister of Women, Children and People with Disabilities, argued on international media that young Afrikaner men were raised in the Calvinist faith and that they therefore believed that they owned women and children.
“Julius Malema, then still leader of the ANC Youth, said in the presence of President Jacob Zuma that all white people were criminals and that they should be treated as such, without any consequences. Ms Makgabo Reginah Mhaule, ANC MEC for education in Mpumalanga, demanded that youth development programmes facilitated by her department follow a ‘black only’ policy. Mr Jimmy Manyi, government’s former spokesperson, said on national television that there were too many coloured people in the Western Cape and that they should be distributed across the country.
“These are but a few examples of gross racist remarks made by senior ANC leaders,” Roets said.
“AfriForum strongly condemns all forms of racism and will continue to take a stand against it. The suspicion is, however, that the ANC only wants to condemn certain forms of racism with this initiative, and that an ongoing lack of action against racism in the ANC’s own ranks can be envisaged.”
Statement issued by Ernst Roets, Deputy CEO, AfriForum, 6 January 2016
