Ignore propaganda, tribe says
2009-12-28 17:04
Cape Town - Supporters of the abaThembu tribe's independence should ignore "distractions" such as government propaganda, spokesperson for the movement Votani Majola said on Monday.
"The state propaganda... is going to be up on-all-fours to distabilize us so that we must loose focus [sic]," he said in a message to supporters.
This propaganda had emerged in the bias of SABC news reporting on the matter in the past few days.
"We must simply ignore such attempts as the truth will always prevail at the end," Majola said.
"Our agenda should always be peace, peace and more peace during our campaign."
AbaThembu king Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo intends to deliver a declaration of independence to Parliament on January 6.
Wants R80bn from govt
The move, announced last week, follows an ultimatum that President Jacob Zuma publicly apologise to the abaThembu tribe for the "humiliation" of the king in court.
The Justice for King Dalindyebo Campaign, which Majola heads, had also demanded that criminal charges against the king be scrapped and that the government pay R80bn in compensation.
Dalindeybo was sentenced to 15 years in jail by an Mthatha judge earlier this month for offences including culpable homicide, kidnapping, arson and assault with intent to commit grievous bodily harm.
He is on bail pending appeal.
According to Majola, the state of Thembuland will include at least Kwazulu-Natal, the Eastern, Western and Northern Cape, and parts of the Free State and Gauteng.
- SAPA