Mbeki accused of hate speech

2004-03-29 16:43

Humansdorp - Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon on Monday lambasted President Thabo Mbeki for continuing to blame South Africa's problems on the past, and accused him of using hate speech.

In a speech prepared for delivery in Humansdorp, in the Eastern Cape, Leon said Mbeki had stated on Sunday that "for 10 years we have been working to correct the same things the Boers did to us".

"That is hate speech. When AgriSA offers the president even the slightest praise, he is quick to proclaim it to the world.

"And yet when he is on the campaign trail, he feels free to abuse the farmers for his own populist purposes," Leon said.

Such behaviour was completely inappropriate for a head of state. It fell into the same category as the president's "reprehensible remark that he would beat his sister if she fancied the leader of an opposition party".

"The president must act like a head of state, not like the leader of some radical fringe movement.

"Instead of a president who dishes out abuse, South Africa needs leaders that have positive and constructive proposals for building our country's future," Leon said.

- SAPA