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Media verklaring - 19 Julie 2023
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President Ramaphosa - Rewolusie of vrede?
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VERKLARING DEUR DRIES WIESE
VOORSITTER VAN DIE AFRIKANERBOND
SAL DIE REGTE CRYL RAMAPHOSA ASSEBLIEF NA VORE TREE
– REVOLUSIE OF VREDE?
Die Afrikanerbond het met verbasing kennis geneem van President Ramaphosa se Mandela-dag standpunt gister. In die president se nuusbrief die volgende: “As South Africa we hold fast to the ideal that a better world can be achieved through engendering peace. This derives from negotiation and compromise over violence, the use of force and resorting to war.”
Dit is die tipe oproep van ʼn president wat dialoog en kompromie voorstaan en in normale omstandighede sou dit verwelkom word. Dit verskil egter wesenlik van die ANC leier, Cyril Ramaphosa se toespraak van 2 Julie 2023 by die ANC Jeugliga se 26ste Nasionale Konferensie. Toe het hy die jeug opgesweep om militante rewolusionêre te word. Ramaphosa het inderdaad by die geleentheid ook bevestig dat die ANC jeugliga die rewolusie is.
Die president se uitsprake by die ANC jeugliga is roekeloos en populisties. Hiermee word hy net nog ʼn politieke leier wat geen beheer het oor sy volgelinge of “rewolusionêre vegters” en hoe die uitsprake beleef of geïnterpreteer word nie.
Die president skaad die waardigheid van die amp ongeag of die optrede by ʼn politieke party geleentheid was. Politici en politieke partye moet opnuut gewaarsku word dat hulle populistiese en ideologiese uitsprake en los en vas verwysings na revolusie ʼn gevaarlike spel is. In ʼn Suid-Afrika wat daagliks gekonfronteer word met onluste, geweld, boewery en vandalisme en misdaad waaronder moord, plaasmoorde en politieke sluipmoorde is die uitsprake onverskoonbaar.
Politieke leiers, waaronder die president met hulle eise en retoriek kom te maklik weg met aanstigting tot geweld en dit word sienderoë toegelaat as deel van die Suid-Afrikaanse woordeskat. Dieselfde politieke leiers trek die skouers ongeërg op oor waarskuwings dat hulle retoriek moontlik ʼn direkte ander en noodlottige gevolg kan hê. Politieke moorde, veral in Kwazulu Natal is ondersoek deur ʼn Kommissie van Ondersoek (Die sg Moerane Kommissie) wat ʼn omvattende verslag met aanbevelings bekend gemaak het. Interessant is een van die bevindinge http://www.kznonline.gov.za/images/Downloads/Publications/MOERANE%20COMMISSION%20OF%20INQUIRY%20REPORT.pdf)
“There was evidence that language used by politicians is sometimes provocative and incites violence, contributing to the murder of politicians.”
Die vraag is of die “opswepende en aanhitsende taal” wat politici gebruik, net beperk kan word tot die moorde op politici?
Die president is veronderstel om die voorbeeld te stel. Ons waarsku al lankal dat opruiende taal deel van die dilemma van Suid-Afrika is. Onder watter voorwendsel predik die president vrede, maar hits terselfdertyd sy party se jeuglede aan om militant en rewolusionêr op te tree? Sal die ware Cyril Ramaphosa na vore kom. Staatsman of aanstoker. Hy kan nie beide wees nie. Die land roep vir leierskap en sy optrede spreek nie daarvan nie. Dit is die groot teleurstelling van die bewind van Cyril Ramaphosa.
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MEDIA STATEMENT BY DRIES WIESE
CHAIRPERSON OF THE AFRIKANERBOND
WILL THE REAL CYRIL RAMAPHOSA PLEASE STEP FORWARD
– REVOLUTION OR PEACE?
It was with surprise that the Afrikanerbond noted President Ramaphosa's Mandela Day stance yesterday. The newsletter declared the following: “As South Africa we hold fast to the ideal that a better world can be achieved through engendering peace. This derives from negotiation and compromise over violence, the use of force and resorting to war.”
This is the type of call one could expect to come from a president who advocates dialogue and compromise, and in normal circumstances it would be welcomed. However, it differs substantially from the speech delivered by ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa on 2 July 2023 at the ANC Youth League's 26th National Conference. There, he incited the youth to become militant revolutionaries. Indeed, Ramaphosa went on to confirm on that occasion that the ANC youth league was the revolution.
The president's pronouncements at the ANC youth league event were reckless and populist. With this he showed himself as just another political leader who has no control over his followers or "revolutionary fighters" and the way in which they experience and interpret his statements.
The president has damaged the dignity of the office, regardless of this conduct having been displayed at a political party event. Politicians and political parties must be cautioned anew that their populist and ideological statements and unbridled references to revolution are a dangerous game. In a South Africa that is confronted daily with riots, violence, thuggery, vandalism and crime, including murder, farm murders and political assassinations, such pronouncements are inexcusable.
Political leaders, including the president, with their demands and rhetoric get away too easily with incitement to violence, and it has been allowed to become part of the South African vocabulary. The same political leaders shrug their shoulders indifferently at warnings that their rhetoric may have direct and fatal consequences. Political murders, especially in Kwazulu-Natal, were investigated by a Commission of Inquiry (the so-called Moerane Commission), which published a comprehensive report with recommendations. An interesting finding reads http://www.kznonline.gov.za/images/Downloads/Publications/MOERANE%20COMMISSION%20OF%20INQUIRY%20REPORT.pdf)
"There was evidence that language used by politicians is sometimes provocative and incites violence, contributing to the murder of politicians.”
The question is whether the "provocative and inciting language" used by politicians can be limited to the murder of politicians alone?
We would expect the president to set an example. We have long been warning that inflammatory language is part of South Africa's dilemma. Under what pretext does the president preach peace while at the same time inciting his party's youth members to act in a militant and revolutionary manner? Will the real Cyril Ramaphosa STEP forward? Statesman or instigator? He cannot be both. The country calls for leadership, and his actions do not show it. This is the great disappointment of the government of Cyril Ramaphosa.
19 Julie 2023
