The EFF statement on apartheid assassins parole decision

30 January 2015

The EFF notes with contempt the dubious decisions made by the Parole Board. We are dismayed at the decision to release Eugene De Kock, and it is clear that the ruling party is just playing delaying tactics on the decisions on Barnard and Derby-Lewis. It is merely a matter of time, they too will be released soon.

The reasons given by the Department of Correctional Services that he was released on the basis of Nation Building is not good enough. There are no merits to this release. ‘Reconciliation' and ‘Nation Building' can never be genuine merits for parole. These are simply excuses, in the absence of actual merits, for the ruling party to call a truce with and appease their Apartheid masters. The ruling party has been flirting with this decision for a while and now finally Apartheid has been fully pardoned.

The ruling party cannot give ‘reconciliation' and ‘nation building' as credible reasons for this senseless parole when the lives of those whom Eugene de Kock senselessly murdered cannot be recovered. Why must the country then spare HIS life? Why must reconciliation always benefit Apartheid masterminds and beneficiaries while our people are still suffering under the same conditions of the oppressive regime. The ruling party is now formally in the shoes of its oppressor, hence they massacred 34 mineworkers in an Apartheid style execution, and still feel no remorse today, infact, still defending their actions. There are better ways this country should achieve ‘reconciliation' and ‘nation building'

Bringing back the land that was stolen by Apartheid, not rewarding it with compensation

Taking the economy back into the hands of the majority of our people, not rewarding imperialists with a blank cheque to run our banks, our mines and control our economy

Providing quality education to our learners, not this indecisive curriculum that is crippling our education system and creating more drop-outs every year

Providing descent infrastructure and housing for our people, not these half-baked matchboxes that collapse at the first sight of rain, not these rolling black-outs that are on the verge of collapsing our economy.

Reversing the effects of corruption which the ruling party inherited voetstoots from Apartheid, and we can start by asking the President to Pay Back the Money

These are practical steps the ruling party should take to reconcile the nation, some of which are stipulated in the Freedom Charter of 1955 and are still relevant today. Our people want to see economic reconciliation. Releasing Eugene de Kock will not do anything for anyone in this country except please Apartheid. Why is the ruling party still subservient to a draconian system that has ravaged the lives of our people for so long? Why are they so quick to reconcile with it, yet so slow to deliver equality to the masses, most of whom historically owe their poverty to Apartheid? Appeasing a now-defunct Apartheid regime will not help this country go forward. Instead, it has the undesired effect of reminding our people where this country comes from.

It would then seem Apartheid is ruling us from the grave. We have kept its symbolic statues, incorporated its anthem into the democratic regime, kept their oppressive economic dominance in place, and now we have freed their most iconic assassins. The ruling party must explain to our people why they are still chained to and by Apartheid.

We have set a very bad precedent here. Racist adversaries of our democracy have won the moral victory. We have sent a strong message to them that they too are forgiven and exonerated from untold atrocities of naked racism. We are still asking today why Wouter Basson is walking free today. Instead of being in jail, the ruling party is flirting with him in our courts where it is clear he is calling the shots. Why is the ruling party so afraid of him? Why are they so afraid of Apartheid?

We also note that the ruling party prioritizes their own cases over those of other parties. Kenny Motsamai of APLA is still in jail after serving 26 yrs in incaceration, 5 of which was served under Apartheid, and 21 under ANC rule. This is for the death of a white policeman in an APLA-sanctioned raid in Rustenburg during Apartheid.

We take these matters very seriously and note that once again, the ruling party has deviated from the basic principles of our struggle, neglected our people, instead electing engage in an embarrassing and self-serving exercise of going to bed with their Apartheid masters.

The EFF will not rest until this weak and fearful government is overthrown. Salute!

Statement issued by the Economic Freedom Fighters, January 31 2015

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