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Home | ZimCrisis#100 -- South Africa's Hitler Hunzvi?

Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 13:57:23 -0700
To: "Zimbabwe Crisis Mailing List":;
From: Zimbabwe Crisis
Subject: ZimCrisis#100 -- South Africa's Hitler Hunzvi?
Cc: "South African government":;


Translation from Afrikaans of Rapport Newspaper article, South Africa, 16/7/2000
By Willem Pelser, Wakkerstroom.


Statements by Mr. Steve Mabona, Member of Parliament of Safety and Security, Roads and Public Works in the Province of Mpumalanga where he is believed to have said that the farmers will be annihilated, have made the headlines.

Mabona was quoted as having said this last week during a community rally at Driefontein close to Piet Retief:

"Should farm occupations ever start in this area in a similar way that it has in Zimbabwe all farmers will be killed, murdered and annihilated."

Mr. Echhardt Paul, the chairman of the Piet Retief agricultural union, who understands and can speak Zulu fluently was at this meeting where Mr. Rabono addressed the crowd. Mr. Paul is the only white member in a committee that had been appointed by black residents of Driefontein, the purpose being to improve and build on the relations of white farmers and black residents in the area.

Mr. Paul said that he was shocked at Mr. Mabona's statements. According to him Mr. Mabona, who addressed the audience in the Zulu language, said the following:

1/. "South Africa will not become a second Zimbabwe because prior to this happening all the farmers will be murdered and annihilated."

2/. "Court cases which involve the black and white communities are being manipulated by the whites to the detriment of the blacks who do not seem to be getting anywhere through the court system."

3/. Throughout this Mabona used the derogatory term 'amabunu' during his speech whenever he referred to whites.

4/. He also said that the white farmers bribed the local 'indoenas' to terrorise the blacks at night time.

5/. The Kommando system in Piet Retief, Wakkerstroom and Ermelo area must be closed down with immediate effect.

6/. The police are useless and it does not help the community to approach the police for assistance.

The chairman of the Agricultural Employers Association, Mr. Werner Weber, said,

"I demand an unqualified repudiation from the government of every word that has been said by the representative. Failing this we will refer the particular speech and issues to the international community."

The same organisation's legal representative said,

"My instruction is to ask Mabona to resign with immediate effect from the Mpumalanga provincial government and to make the national government aware of the situation and the statements made by Mabona. We are trying to improve harmony and good working relations and work ethics, but if this is the type of language that the Minister has used we are compelled to take drastic measures to bring him to book."

Colonel Anton Kritzinger, the commanding officer of the army and Kommando in the HighVeldt and Eastern HighVeldt in Mpumalanga says,

"I am extremely concerned and upset about Mabona's statements."

Mabona, when approached by the Rapport newspaper yesterday said,

"Yes, I did say that some black policeman are bloody useless because they are too scared to arrest the white farmers in the area and anyone who is useless must be sacked. I also said that if I had the authority and the power I would have closed all the Kommandos in the area and I reiterate this again. All that they do is they cause carnage. Here in this area there are about fifty cases where farm workers have been murdered by the local farmers. These farmers, who act like animals, must be isolated.

I also deny that I have said that we would kill the farmers. What I did say is that should the Zimbabwe situation be duplicated in South Africa things would become far worse. Black and white will be killed and annihilated, Zimbabwe will look like a picnic." he said.

End of article.


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Note from SA news collater: On South African Television's Channel Three evening news programme beginning 8.00 pm on Tuesday 18th July 2000 Mr. Steve Mabona claimed that he had never made such statements concerning white farmers and that it must have been another Mr. Steve Mabona.




Craig
Zimbabwe Crisis Mailing List
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