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Crime is a reality, says Zuma
04/03/2007 22:51 - (SA)
Pieter du Toit and Cobus Coetzee, Beeld
Cape Town - The line in the sand between the African National Congress deputy president and President Thabo Mbeki came into sharp relief this weekend with Jacob Zuma's statement that crime "is not a perception".
While on a visit to the family of murdered farmer Willie Slabbert, 57, of Meyerton, south of Johannesburg, Zuma said crime was not a perception for the Slabbert family, but a reality.
"They have been affected by crime three times in quick succession.
"No one should live in fear in this country," he said after the visit.
"We should not debate if crime is, or is not, getting worse. We should be working at it with all urgency.
"The ANC takes crime, and especially farm murders, very seriously, " said Zuma.
On Tuesday, Slabbert was battered to death with a hammer and stabbed with a long chisel and a knife at his house, at Zomerlust farm wedding venue, near Vereeniging.
On Wednesday, his niece, Daleen Kruger,53, died of a heart attack after she heard of his death.
In 1999, family member Theuns de Lange was crippled during a hijacking.
Zuma has HIV test
Zuma's statements contrast sharply with those of Mbeki in January when he said on TV that it was "a perception" that crime was out of control.
Mbeki was sharply criticised because his televised statement contrasted with his call a week earlier at Witbank, for national consensus on the "crime plague" in the country.
In what is regarded as another jab at the head of state, Zuma had his HIV-status tested on Friday.
The Sunday Independent reported on Sunday that Zuma had had his status tested at his home town, Inkandla, in KwaZulu-Natal and encouraged others to follow his example.
The apparent attempt to woo Afrikaners continued on Sunday.
His spokesperson Ranjeni Munusamy said that Zuma's feeling was that Afrikaners should once again become part of the nation-building experiment in South Africa.
More-frequent meetings urged
"They should be part of it," she quoted Zuma as saying.
This followed Zuma's statement on Saturday at Meyerton that Afrikaners should talk to the government more frequently on matters of language, culture and security.
"This land is for Afrikaners and everyone living in it."
Munusamy said acknowledging the various cultural groups was of utmost importance to Zuma.
"Zuma's meeting last week with (activist and singer) Steve (Hofmeyr) and his visit to the family of the murder victim was merely a continuation of his dialogue with Afrikaners.
"During his time as deputy president, he met regularly with Afrikaners. They felt he understood them," she said on Sunday.
Independent political analyst Aubrey Matshiqi said the visits and sentiments contrasted sharply with those of Mbeki.
'Reaching out' is welcomed
"Zuma is seeking to dispel the argument that crime is a problem that affects certain groups - read whites - by validating their fears as something that is shared by all," said Matshiqi.
Meanwhile, the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) welcomed Zuma's statement during his visit to the Slabbert family.
"His attempt to reach out to Afrikaners is welcomed at a time of greater tension and polarisation," said FF+ party leader Dr Pieter Mulder.
- Beeld
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