Organisation condemns behaviour of certain members of the ruling party during the parliamentary sitting

Correction: The debate on farm murders (14 March 2017) in Parliament refers. It came to AfriForum’s attention that it was not Mduduzi Manana, Deputy Minister of Higher Education, that allegedly shouted “Bury them alive” during the sitting, but Duduzile Promise Manana, ANC MP.

AfriForum condemns ANC’s attitude during parliamentary sitting

14 March 2017

AfriForum has condemned the behaviour of certain members of the ANC during the parliamentary sitting about farm murders. Ian Cameron, AfriForum’s Head of Community Safety, and Lorraine Claasen, Crime Analyst at AfriForum, attended this sitting during which Duduzile Promise Manana, ANC MP, shouted “Bury them alive!” when Dr Pieter Groenewald spoke about the plight of white farmers.

“This is proof that the utterances of political leaders could lead to violence and murders and that the issue of farm murders is of little importance to the ANC. Certain members of the ANC were chatting during the debate and not listening nor partaking at all. Political parties, such as the ANC and EFF, that do not want to accept that farm murders are a major issue kept emphasising a single occurrence during which a farm worker was shot on a farm in Letsitele. We however welcome Mosiuao Lekota’s (COPE) stance on the issue. Lekota made it apparent that, should the current state of affairs in South Africa continue, a genocide would likely take place,” says Cameron.

“The onus and responsibility are not only on the police and communities in rural areas to prevent farm attacks. Those that are in charge of our country particularly cannot make statements such as ‘bury them alive!’. Members of Parliament must be held accountable for utterances that encourage and incite violence against any person,” Claasen emphasises.

Statement issued by Ian Cameron, Head: Community Safety, AfriForum, 14 March 2017 (correction issued 16 March 2017)