FF+ lays hate speech complaint

2007-09-17 21:34

Cape Town - The Freedom Front Plus has laid a complaint of hate speech against Agriculture Minister Lulu Xingwana and her deputy Dirk du Toit with the Human Rights Commission.

This follows comments by Du Toit in parliament last week that farmers treated their workers badly and the minister's threat of expropriation against farmers.

"Both the minister and deputy minister often threaten farmers with appropriation of their land," FF Plus spokesperson Pieter Groenewald said.

The latest threat was that farmers who treated their workers poorly would have their land expropriated. These threats carried the element of retribution and created the impression that retribution against such farmers was justified.

"These statements are irresponsible and boil down to hate speech," he said.

Emotions were aroused and recent events in KwaZulu-Natal, where a farmer was being threatened with eviction, confirmed this.

"With these comments the farming community is being singled out because there are many companies and businesses that treat their workers badly or even worse.

"The comments of the minister are furthermore not scientific and/or factually correct.

"In reply to several of my questions in Parliament on evictions, she acknowledged that accurate figures can not be given."

She had also acknowledged that the evictions had been reported to the department and by social partners. The validity thereof had therefore not been properly determined.

"Comments and threats are being made by the minister and her deputy which are not properly founded on facts and verified," Groenewald said.

- SAPA