Racist populism which incites violence and the seizure of property is perhaps the most insidious threat to South Africa’s future. Yet such rhetoric was evident in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on November 26.
Following the latest murder of a farmer, Schalk van der Merwe of Wolmaransstad, the ANC and EFF rejected a notice of motion brought by the Freedom Front Plus calling for the prioritisation of crime prevention measures to safeguard farmers.
In disallowing the motion, ANC and EFF members chanted “we want the land.” Such remarks and attitudes are irresponsible in the extreme since they implicitly legitimise the killing of farmers as part of a racist campaign against white land ownership.
Besides the dire threat that this malicious campaign poses to food security, the attitude of those ANC and EFF members is one of utter hypocrisy. For with few exceptions, most of the food consumed by them is produced by white farmers.
President Ramaphosa needs to spell out whether his clamour for transformation includes the destabilisation of food security through the ongoing murder of white farmers. If not, then he needs to be seen to order disciplinary measures against the ANC in the NCOP.
Sent into The Witness and The Mercury and published, 28 November 2019.
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