IFP: CENSOR MALEMA OR FACE THE CONSEQUENCES
The IFP believes that the ANC's decision today to defend youth leader Julius Malema for singing, "shoot the boers, they are rapists", will cause untold harm to South Africa's nation-building and reconciliation efforts.
"We are absolutely shocked and disgusted that the ANC has decided to stand by Julius Malema when the slogan in question has been declared hate speech by the Human Rights Commission. The ANC is now flouting the Constitution, it has clearly abandoned reconciliation and national-building efforts and it is now no longer guided by the principles, values and vision of our nation's founding father, Nelson Mandela. God help us all if Malema is now the ANC's voice of authority," said Velphi Ndlovu, the IFP's spokesperson on Police and Labour.
Ndlovu added: "When the De La Rey controversy erupted, government and other ANC heavyweights were very vocal in their condemnation of the song, calling it a 'call to arms'. However, now that we have a call to kill emanating from their own ranks, the ANC's silence on this issue is deafening. It tells us a lot about the soul of today's ANC", added Ndlovu.
Ndlovu said that Malema's song comes against the backdrop of 800 attacks against farmers every year.
"We sympathise with the plight of farmers and farmer workers. Farm attacks are on the increase and there is already a sense that government is not doing enough to protect this section of our society. Malema's comments will certainly exacerbate these beliefs," said Ndlovu.
Ndlovu said that the ANC should make its views clear on this matter and on Malema.
"In support of Malema, is the ANC now declaring war? This is a question that must be answered. Also, are Malema's rants now the ANC's official views too? The IFP believes that the ANC's continuous failure to reprimand Malema will see race relations regressing to worse levels than before 1994. The ANC is now, at an alarming pace, undoing all the hard work we have done so far in building a cohesive society. Soon enough we will be back to square one," added Ndlovu.
Issued by the Inkatha Freedom Party, March 12 2010
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