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Why we need to heed the ranting of an infantile politician

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he FW de Klerk Foundation issued this statement on Julius Malema’s recent ‘rant’:

According to media reports and transcripts Julius Malema told his supporters outside the Newcastle Magistrate’s Court yesterday that:

“We, the rightful owners, our peace was disturbed by white man’s arrival here… They killed our people during land dispossession… They found peaceful Africans here. They killed them! They slaughtered them, like animals! We are not calling for the slaughter of white people, at least for now”.

“We will not chase white people into the sea. We will give them portion… That is where you stay. And you can’t own bigger than us. You are a visitor. Visitors must behave. They must know the land belongs to the people of South Africa, the indigenous people of South Africa…  No white person is a rightful owner of the land here in South Africa and in the whole of the African continent. This is our continent; it belongs to us”.

“The people who belong to the court is (sic) FW de Klerk and all those whites who stole our land. But white minorities be warned, we will take our land. It doesn’t matter how… The land will be taken by whatever means necessary”.

Why is it important to take serious note of these comments and not dismiss them (as many do) as the rantings of an infantile political leader? Because Mr Malema’s statements are a repudiation of the core values on which our Constitution is founded – including human dignity, the achievement of equality, and the advancement of human rights and freedoms and non-racialism. It is also a direct contravention of section 16(2) of the Constitution which prohibits “propaganda for war; incitement of imminent violence; or advocacy of hatred that is based on race, ethnicity, gender or religion, and that constitutes incitement to cause harm.” Mr. Malema’s reference to the Constitution outside the court in Newcastle is a serious test of our collective understanding of our constitutional values.

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.