Tag: AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS

‘Don’t ever vote for white person’: South African ANC leader’s race-based call discussed on RT

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A leading member of South Africa’s ruling party has stirred controversy as he called on the country’s black population not to vote for white candidates. RT has asked a local politician and activist to weigh in.

With even members of his own party condemning the decision to “campaign along race lines,” the pressure is mounting against African National Congress secretary-general Ace Magashule. He has already found himself at the wrong end of a number of corruption scandals and has now been slammed for his “racist” remark.

A few weeks shy of the 25th anniversary of the end of apartheid, racial tensions remain an undeniable part of life in modern South Africa. And some in South Africa support Magashule’s sentiment.

ALSO ON RT.COMSouth Africa’s economic & social decline the worst of nations not at war

“White people are the beneficiaries of racism, all of them,” Andile Mngxitama of the pan-Africanist Black First Land First party told RT. He believes that the disproportionate amount of resources that remain in the hands of the country’s white minority is an indication that they “still maintain an apartheid hold on the economy.” Given the circumstances, Mngxitama asks “why any black person would vote for a white person?”

Self-described “disillusioned left wing South African” Helen Heldenmuth sees this outlook is destructive, and not the opinion of the majority. Having been arrested for raising black children during apartheid, she believes that the solution has to move beyond black and white. According to her, comments like Magashule’s don’t help to “mend” the damage from the past, and only serve to further divide society along racial lines.

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South Africa created 100 ‘blacks only’ doctor positions… but failed to fill them

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A South African province attempted to create 100 new positions in a doctor training program that would be reserved for black candidates only. The quota, which was not met due to recruiting problems, has been criticized as racist.

The KwaZulu-Natal health department decided that it would expand its doctor training program in 2019, from 314 to 414. An internal memo leaked to local media revealed, however, that only black doctors would be eligible for the 100 additional slots.

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South African parliament brings country one step closer to seizing land from white farmersSouth African parliament brings country one step closer to seizing land from white farmers

The department remained unapologetic about the policy, tellingTimesLIVE: “South Africa, including KwaZulu-Natal, remains an unequal society with limited opportunities for self-development for those who were historically oppressed.”

Spokesperson Ncumisa Mafunda added that the measure was designed to “address these imbalances of the past.”

Difficulties with recruiting, however, hindered the department’s ability to meet its new quota.

“After difficulties were experienced in recruiting black African candidates for these posts, a deviation was sought from the accounting officer and, out of a total of 77 registrar posts, 21 posts will be offered to non-Black Africans,” Mafunda said.

A spokesperson for Democratic Alliance – the leading opposition party to the ruling African National Congress – argued that any policy was “an aberration of our constitutional values and is racist.”

“Any form or attempt to redress the injustices of the past must ensure that we remain committed to what our constitution says… There must be no exclusion, especially based on the colour of our skin.”

The failed quota was not well received on Twitter, with many calling it openly racist and counter-intuitive.

“Let me understand – one should practice racism in order to eradicate racism? Sounds logical,” one sarcastic Twitter user wrote.

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Racial tensions in South Africa have been growing as a result of proposed legislation that would seize land, without compensation, from white farmers. The proposal has been billed as necessary to help correct years of racial inequality in the country as a result of apartheid.

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White South African farmers say they’re living in fear

COMING TO AMERICA

THIS IS WHY THEY WANT OUR GUNS AMERICA

Debate has been raging about whether white South African farmers deserve special attention under Australia’s humanitarian visa program. Like many issues in Australia, it is split along partisan lines. Conservatives highlight horrendous violence suffered by farmers and say they would integrate well in Australia while progressives say the motivation is more about race. According to police figures, 71 people were murdered on South African farms in the year to March 2017, but farmers say that figure does not reflect the full extent of the violence.

 

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South African parliament brings country one step closer to seizing land from white farmers

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MPs in South Africa have adopted a report on a proposed change to the constitution, which would allow land to be seized from white owners without compensation. An attempt to stop it in court failed last week.

On Tuesday, South African parliament approved a report which recommends changing the national constitution to allow the state to take privately-owned land without compensation as long as it is justified by public interest. Redistribution of land, supporters believe, would be beneficial to the South African public.

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Johannesburg, South Africa © Reuters / Siphiwe SibekoBack on track: South Africa pulls out of recession as economy surges

President Cyril Ramaphosa, who came to power in February, has made it a priority for the ruling African National Congress (ANC) to adopt a racially-loaded amendment to the country’s constitution. A small white minority owns most of the farmland in the former colony, and ANC insists that it’s a historic injustice that needs rectifying.

This is just one step in a lengthy legal process of changing the nation’s foundational law in accordance with Ramaphosa’s vision. The next would be drafting a bill enacting the constitutional amendment, followed by a period of public feedback before it can be put to a vote. Both chambers of the Parliament will then have to approve the bill before it is sent to the president for signing into law.

The main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) and some rights groups are critical of the plans, saying they would scare off international investors and potentially damage the national economy. DA said ahead of the Tuesday parliament debate that it may go to court to stop the proposed reform.

But last week’s decision by South African High Court may be an indicator that such a challenge may not be successful. Last Friday the court rejected a challenge brought by AfriForum, a group representing mainly white Afrikaners, requesting the judiciary to overturn the parliamentary report and thus stop the reform process.

The group argued that the committee broke the rules when it appointed an external service provider to compile the report. It also said the MPs failed to consider over 100,000 submissions opposing the constitutional change.

Afriforum, which mostly consists of Afrikaners, the descendants of South African white colonist farmers, said it will continue to fight the reform, including through legal action.

ALSO ON RT.COMLand confiscation plans will hurt South Africa’s economic growth, IMF warnsThe expropriation without confiscation amendment may not be finalized before parliamentary election scheduled to be held in May next year. The ANC is using the land reform to whip up public support before the ballot.

Ironically the racially-sensitive issue was raised a day before South Africa commemorated the anniversary of the death of Nelson Mandela, the former president of the ANC and the country itself, who is credited for destroying the apartheid regime.

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