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Media verklaring - 22 Maart 2022
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Ope brief aan President Ramaphosa - Moet nie gemeenskappe verdeel nie
(Scroll down for English statement)
Geagte President Ramaphosa
Ope Brief – Rassisme beskuldigings kan NIE die basis vorm vir ʼn sosiale ooreenkoms nie
Met verwysing na die toespraak van 21 Maart 2022 op Mensregtedag te Koster in Noordwes
Ons het die moeite gedoen om u oorspronklike toespraak te lees en nie net staat te maak op mediaberigte wat oor die inhoud van die toespraak gerapporteer het nie. (Sien skakel onder)
Op 10 Februarie 2022 lewer u die staatsrede in die Stadsaal van Kaapstad. Onder meer sê u “Ons het onsself 100 dae gegee om 'n omvattende sosiale ooreenkoms te finaliseer om ons ekonomie te laat groei, werk te skep en honger te bekamp. Dit sal voortbou op die grondslag van die ekonomiese heropbou en herstelplan, wat ons gemeenskaplike program bly om die ekonomie te herbou! Om effektief te wees, moet hierdie sosiale ooreenkoms elke Suid-Afrikaner en elke deel van ons samelewing insluit.”
Afhangende van u onderneming tot ʼn sosiale ooreenkoms se tydskale moet die sosiale ooreenkoms teen Saterdag 21 Mei 2022 in plek wees of as mens slegs na werksdae kyk is dit 27 Julie 2022. Ongeag vanuit watter hoek dit beskou word sal dit bomenslike kragte verg om dit te bereik Dit sal enorme interaksie met alle Suid-Afrikaanse gemeenskappe benodig en intense dialoog met alle rolspelers en belanggroepe om sukses te behaal.
Daarom is u opmerkings op Mensregtedag in Koster so teleurstellend en absoluut onnodig. In plaas van brûe te bou verdeel u, in stede van versoening, verdeel u en in stede van uitreik na gemeenskappe stoot u weg.
Daar kan geen twyfel wees dat die politieke insident op Sharpeville op 21 Maart 1960 en die afgryslike individuele rassistiese daad op Skierlik op 14 Januarie 2008 veroordeel moet word nie. Niemand praat dit goed nie. Wat egter vreemd opval is dat u nie onderskeid tref nie,. Vanuit u toespraak is dit opvallend en duidelik dat u die wit gemeenskap oor dieselfde kam skeer en dat die wit gemeenskap opgestel word as rassiste met die een insident as basis. Rassisme kom in alle gemeenskappe voor en dit moet in alle gemeenskappe aangespreek word.
U as president het die taak en verpligting om konsekwent nasiebou te bevorder. U eensydige veroordelende beskuldiging van die wit gemeenskap gebaseer op ʼn enkele insident is die amp nie waardig nie en daaroor is ons werklik teleurgesteld. Dit is nie die basis waarop enige sosiale ooreenkoms gebou kan word nie, en vernietig uself enige hoop op die wonderwerk wat moet plaasvind.
Waar is u erkenning teenoor die wit gemeenskap se bydrae elke dag tot die herstel van dienslewering en infrastruktuur wat deur kaders vernietig is, onder andere in Koster? Waar is die erkenning aan die wit gemeenskap wat elke dag aktief in die ekonomie besig is met werkskepping vir almal ook die swart gemeenskap? Waar is die erkenning aan die wit gemeenskap wat elke dag met uitreik aksies en armoedeverligting in alle gemeenskappe betrokke is? Waar is die erkenning aan die wit gemeenskap wat Suid-Afrika hulle tuiste noem en elke dag ʼn positiewe verskil maak?
Dit is jammer dat rassisme deur die uitwys van die insidente as die enkele en die enigste grootste sonde afgemaak word maar ander menseregtevergrype soos misdaad, moorde veral plaasmoorde, xenofobie, staatskaping, onluste en plundering, korrupsie, falende dienslewering, infrastruktuur sabotasie en vele meer onder die mat invee of slegs oppervlakkig na verwys word. Dit is dié misdade en menseregtevergrype waarmee elke Suid-Afrikaner elke dag worstel. Dit wil voorkom asof u ʼn greep op die werklikheid verloor het waaroor ons baie jammer is. Ons wys ook nie vinger na die ras of etnisiteit van bogenoemde oortreders as die knelpunte uitgelig word nie. Dit sal niemand baat nie.
De grootste werk in die sosiale ooreenkoms is om vertroue te herstel want ons het vertroue verloor. As burgerlike samelewing wat die sakesektor insluit is daar: ʼn Gebrek aan vertroue in die regering, ʼn gebrek aan vertroue in politici, ʼn gebrek aan vertroue in die staatsdiens, en die polisie sowel as die strafregstelsel en helaas in u as President vir almal in Suid-Afrika.
Is u daarom verbaas dat daar reeds ʼn parallelle struktuur op vele terreine is wat die burgery van Suid-Afrika effektief opgerig het en in stand hou. Opleiding, onderwys, mediese dienste, veiligheid, infrastruktuur word voorsien waar die staat faal. Dit moet ernstige kommer by u wek en waarskynlik is dit die rede vir die misplaaste uitbarsting en beskuldigings na die wit samelewing en bevolking. U frustrasie is begryplik want die staat se brouwerk gaan nie in 100 dae reggestel word nie en u het die insette van elkeen individueel en gesamentlik nodig. Die samewerking gaan egter nie verkry word as die vingerwyserwys en eensydige beskuldigings, die basis is waarop u ʼn sosiale kontrak wil bou nie.
Daar is nog steeds hoop vir ʼn nuwe sosiale ooreenkoms maar dan moet dit gebeur binne ʼn gees van onderlinge vertroue en binne die riglyne van die SA grondwet. Dit sal veral ʼn staatshoof verg wat die beste uit alle Suid-Afrikaners en alle gemeenskappe kan haal tot voordeel van die land.
Ons sal graag met u in gesprek wil tree ten einde ons bekommernisse te deel maar ook ons voorstelle vir die sosiale ooreenkoms aan u oor te dra.
Met groete
Dries Wiese
Voorsitter van die Nasionale Raad van die Afrikanerbond
_______________________________________
Dear President Ramaphosa
Open Letter - Accusations of racism CANNOT form the basis for a social compact
With reference to the speech of 21 March 2022 on Human Rights Day at Koster in the North West
We made the effort to read your original speech and did not merely rely on media reports on the content of the speech. (See link below)
On 10 February 2022, you delivered the state of the nation address in the City Hall of Cape Town. Among other things, you said, “We have given ourselves 100 days to finalise a comprehensive social compact to grow our economy, create jobs and combat hunger. This work will build on the foundation of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan (ERRP), which remains our common programme to rebuild the economy. To be effective, this social compact needs to include every South African and every part of our society.”
Depending on your interpretation of the time scale, the social compact is supposed to be in place by Saturday 21 May 2022 or, if based on working days only, by 27 July 2022. Achieving this aim by either date would, however, require superhuman powers. It would entail enormous amounts of interaction with all South African communities and intense dialogue with all role players and stakeholders to succeed.
This makes your remarks on Human Rights Day in Koster all the more disappointing and unnecessary. Instead of building bridges, you divide; instead of bringing together, you put asunder; and instead of reaching out to communities, you push them away.
The political incident in Sharpeville on 21 March 1960 and the heinous individual racist act in Skierlik on 14 January 2008 should be condemned — that much is indisputable. No one condones it. What strikes one, however, is that you do not discriminate. It is evident from your speech that you are tarring the entire white community with the same brush, setting all of them up as racists, based on one incident. Racism occurs in all communities and it needs to be addressed in all communities.
You as president have the task and obligation to consistently promote nation building. Your levelling of this one-sided condemnatory accusation of racism at the white community, based on a single incident, is not worthy of the office you hold, and we are deeply disappointed about it. No social compact can be built on such a base, and so you yourself destroy any hope of achieving the miracle that must take place.
Where is your recognition of the white community's contribution every day to the restoration of service delivery and infrastructure destroyed by cadres, including in Koster? Where is your recognition of the white community’s daily economic endeavours towards job creation for all, including the black community? Where is your recognition of the white community’s daily involvement in all communities through outreach activities and poverty allevation work? Where is your recognition of the white community who call South Africa their home and make a positive difference every day?
You throw the spotlight on incendiary long-past white-on-black incidents, yet you refer only in passing to human rights abuses such as crime; murder, and especially farm murders; xenophobia; state capture; riots and looting; corruption; failing service delivery; infrastructure sabotage; the list goes on — and we are not pointing a finger at the race or ethnicity of such offenders, it would benefit no one. These are the crimes and human rights violations that every South African has to contend with every day, in the here and now. We must conclude that you seem to have lost your grip on the current reality.
First and foremost, for a social compact to have any prospect of succeeding, trust must be restored, for we have lost all trust. As a civil society that includes the business sector, there is a lack of trust in the government, a lack of trust in politicians, a lack of trust in the civil service, in the police, and in the criminal justice system but also in you as president for every South African. .
Does it surprise you that there is already a parallel structure in many areas which the citizenry of South Africa established and now maintain? Training, education, medical services, security, infrastructure are all provided where the state fails. This must cause you serious concern and is most probably the reason for the misplaced outburst and accusations directed at the white community. Your frustration is understandable, because the state's shoddy work cannot be set right in 100 days, and you need the input of everyone, individually and collectively. However, you will not obtain the required cooperation if finger-pointing and one-sided accusations are the basis on which you wish to build a social compact.
There is still hope for a new social compact, but then it must happen with a spirit of mutual trust and within the guidelines of the SA constitution. In particular, it will require a head of state who can get the best out of all South Africans and all communities for the benefit of the country as a whole.
We would welcome an opportunity to discuss our concerns with you but also to convey our suggestions regarding the social compact.
Sincerely yours
Dries Wiese
Chairperson of the National Council of the Afrikanerbond
22 March 2022
____________________________________________
Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Human Rights Day, Reagile Communicity Centre, Koster, North West, 21 March 2022
Follow the link below to the Presidency / Volg die skakel na die presidensie
