Solidarity: Afrikaners distrust ANC
2011-04-20 12:54
Johannesburg - The ANC's support for its Youth League president Julius
Malema's hate speech has led to a deep sense of distrust for the ruling party
in the Afrikaans community, the general secretary of the Solidarity trade union
Flip Buys said on Wednesday.
Buys said in a speech at the union's national congress outside Johannesburg
that Afrikaners could not talk to "people" who had outlawed them as a
cultural group.
"The ANC's support for Malema's hate speech has led to a deep sense of
distrust being experienced within the Afrikaans community," Buys said.
"I want to make it very clear that we will go out of our way to rebuild
confidence, but we are not prepared to crawl on our knees.
"We cannot talk to people who have outlawed us as a cultural group as
if there is nothing wrong with it."
AfriForum and TAU SA have taken Malema to the Equality Court to interdict
him from singing or chanting the lyrics "shoot the boer".
ANC leaders, including secretary general Gwede Mantashe and NEC member Derek
Hanekom, have testified for Malema in the case, which is being heard in the
High Court in Johannesburg, sitting as the Equality Court.
Buys said the union was tired of talking about problems such as unfair
affirmative action, violent crime, Afrikaans schools and universities, the
"criminalisation" of the Afrikaner history.
"It would see as if there is a total inability within the ANC to look
beyond its own narrow ideological and racial boundaries to consider the
interests of all in the country."
Buys said the union wanted to extend a "hand of friendship" to
President Jacob Zuma and the ANC and its alliance partners.
"It is an open hand, not a clenched fist, but it is definitely not a
pleading and begging hand either.
"We have respect for authority, but we also have our self respect.
"We realise the minorities must fight for that which majorities take for
granted."
- SAPA
