ANCYL refuses farm attack list

2010-03-11 15:52

Johannesburg - The ANC Youth League refused to accept a list of names of 1 600 farm attack victims which AfriForum youth attempted to hand over on Thursday afternoon.

"We regard it as spitting in the face of people who have been murdered in the last couple of years and they [the ANCYL] are making the whole issue of farm attacks... a cheap topic," AfriForum chairperson Ernst Roets said.

AfriForum youth were complaining about ANC Youth League president Julius Malema singing the song "Dubula amabhunu baya raypha" (Zulu for, 'Shoot the boers, they are rapists) during two public events in the past week.

"It is our understanding that the Youth League claims this song should be seen within a political context and that it has no physical or emotional affect on whites or Afrikaners whatsoever," Roets said.

AfriForum was therefore providing the list of victims to show that singing the song may have consequences.

"This is not a game of cowboys and crooks. On the ground people are being murdered while Julius Malema is singing and sipping on champagne."

Officials from the ANC headquarters of Luthuli House in Johannesburg, complained as Roets spoke to the media outside the building, saying the interview should be conducted elsewhere.

Roets said AfriForum youth were determined to continue with their campaign and would still file a complaint with the Equality Court.

Roets and two AfriForum youth companions threatened to paste the lists on the walls of Luthuli House, but after speaking to their lawyers opted not to.

ANC officials grew increasingly agitated at the presence of cameras and AfriForum members outside the building.

Roets said he would proceed directly to the Equality Court to lay a complaint and would add to it that the Youth League declined to accept the list of 1 600 names.

- SAPA