February has been declared Race Free Month and every day in February we at MyPE will be combating the subtle racist nuances that hamper our thinking, cloud our judgement, restrict our development and increase the tension in South Africa.
More often than not I delete, with the spammy contempt that they deserve, all those ‘Popular in your network’ suggestions from Twitter, except the one this morning which caught my eye and said:
“At the start of our federal council in Cape Town, this banner speaks volumes and speaks unambiguously for me.” @AtholT
Inspired I did the thing that all normal idiots do – turned to Google and punched in the names of politicians and the keywords Statements against Racism and below is what was spat out:
Jacob Zuma Statement against Racism: Delivering the African National Congress (ANC)’s 8th January statement, Zuma said a small minority continues to harbour racist views. Zuma says ANC branches must develop specific campaigns against racism and discrimination in all its forms and “… develop specific campaigns against racism and to involve their communities, civil society and religious organisations in these campaigns.”
Helen Zille Statement against Racism: “Our party has no place for people like these. We are disgusted by them. While our constitution guarantees them the right to free speech, even when they are vile and offensive, they do not have a right to associate, or be associated with, the DA,”
Mmusi Maimane Statement on Racism: [Racist comments] are an insult to me and to our party. We have too many of these in SA & we must criminalize these.
Danny Jordaan Statement on Racism: “I want to pledge on my own behalf and on behalf of the Mayoral Committee that we will do everything possible to lead by example to build social cohesion and fight racism. Racism is an abomination which has no place in our democratic society,”
Nceba Faku Statement on Racism: In May 2011 Faku exhorted a crowd to drive blacks who voted for allegedly “white” parties into the sea. And then proceeded to encourage the crowd to; “Go and burn the Herald. We will face a bullet with a bullet.” See: Nceba Faku Revolootionary
Julius Malema Statement on Racism: In April 2011 Afriforum brought a case of hate speech against Malema in regard to shoot the Boer song. On 12 September 2011, Malema was convicted of hate speech.
UDM Statement on Racism: What we need is an objective appraisal of our society, which will place it in its historical perspective, that approach will distinguish those structural features of society which nurture racism and devise ways of removing them. It is universally agreed that race was exploited to engineer an oppressive social order which resulted in acute socio-economic disparities between black and white in South Africa. Nothing short of an economic revolution will rid us of racism. A radical economic transformation has to occur within acceptable time-frames that can avert the type of a social explosion that the CODESA negotiations succeeded in avoiding. The creation of our economic egalitarian society cannot be left to the vagaries of the market forces only that are inherent in government’s GEAR policy. Nor can we tolerate the ANC, COSATU and SACP Alliance political massage and collective posturing by them, while the country ‘s economy is sliding.
ANC Statement on Racism: One of the Duties of a member of the ANC shall be to fight against racism, tribal chauvinism, sexism, religious and political intolerance or any other form of discrimination or chauvinism.
DA Anti-Racism Pledge: “I pledge to uphold the values of the Constitution, to cherish its vision for a united, non-racial, democratic South Africa, and to nourish this vision in my personal conduct. I acknowledge that Apartheid was an evil system, and recognise that its legacy remains reflected in the unequal structure of South African society today. I reject discrimination in all its forms, and pledge to help root it out wherever I encounter it in South Africa. I will not perpetuate racial division, and will never undermine the dignity of my fellow South Africans. Instead, I will commit myself to working to overcome inequality and achieving shared prosperity”
My personal Statement against Racism: Any form of discrimination against a fellow human being sucks and is not cool – If you feel that I am demeaning you in any way then please help me understand how I am doing so, so that I may learn from you and apply corrrective behaviour.
Show your support and leave your statement against racism in the comments below.
Sign the Pledge to go Race Free.
Related: February 2016 Race Free Month Articles
Alan Straton
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