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The BlaBla Blog has many international readers, so in the interest of correct information I would like to convey a true South African version of this story so far.
Eugene Terre'Blanche Leader Of AWB
Eugene Terre’Blanche was not the “Leader of the White people of South Africa” or the “Leader of the Boere” so to say. He was the leader of a far right-wing minority group, the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweeging, (AWB) [literally the “Afrikaner Resistance Movement”). The AWB is comprised of people who may or may not be racists but who definitely believe in white separatism. ET (as Terre’Blance is often referred to) is not a hero of mine, nor of any of the people I take seriously in South Africa.
He has been reportedly “murdered whilst having his afternoon nap” by disgruntled farm workers following an argument over wages. There are many versions of this story going around. Most facts are very sketchy at this point and are more than likely skewed by the opinion of the person reporting them.
There is a serious call for calm around race relations in South Africa at the moment. Many fingers are being pointed at various role players in South Africa, including our President Jacob Zuma and the leader of the ANC-youth league, Julius Malema. Many people are saying that Julius Malema is fuelling the race fire in SA, and Jacob Zuma is not doing enough to stop him. In my opinion, Jacob Zuma is doing anything to stop him.
The two “accused” are to appear in court today, after allegedly turning themselves into the police after the murder. The accused (aged 15 and 28 years old) were farm workers on ET’s farm. The fact that one of the accused is a minor obviously complicates the legal process.
Most South Africans are calling for calm and are opposed to any “revenge taking”. The situation in his home town of Ventersdorp is tense. The police presence is high and the entire event is being covered constantly by the local and international media. Unfortunately the media are showing very old images of the AWB and Eugene. Most of the footage is from before or during the elections in 1994, so they are incorrectly portraying the AWB as an active and or well supported group.
News stories related to this.
Eugene Terre’Blanche killed after row with farmworkers
Mother tells how son killed Terre’Blanche
4 Comments
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by The BlaBla Blog. The BlaBla Blog said: New Post: Eugene Terreblanche Murder at http://tinyurl.com/ye8wkdv [...]
Linking an old ANC liberation song to the murder of Eugene Terreblanche seems like a long shot to make political hay for a spent force while the sun shines.
Crime in our country knows no racial bounds and according to recent figures, published by Nationmaster.com, 0.47 out of 1000 South Africans of all races will become victims of murder by the end of the year. (UK 0.014 in comparison)
If anyone else than Terreblanche was to have met the maker at the hands of violence last Saturday night he or she would simply and silently have become another notch on the scale of the sad fact above.
If a culprit needs to be found for this latest act of crime than it would perhaps be more expedient to focus on law enforcement and the judicial system which fails to deal ruthlessly with crime – regardless of race.
A point in case is Eugene Terreblanche’s conviction, some years back, for attempted murder. After serving three of his six year sentence he was released while his victim never fully recovered from this attack and was left with severe brain damage and disabled for life.
I am trying to put myself in the place of the victim’s father and I wonder if I would feel that justice had been done if my son was at the receiving end of Terreblanche’s brutality.
Nation building requires many skills one of which is mature leadership on all levels of society.
Africa is a continent where symbols and rhetoric are like a “symbiosis” which will either act as cement for unity or as a wedge for division.
A young and diverse Nation, like ours in particular, needs to wake up every morning with a new desire and a fresh commitment to search for unifying fundamentals.
Denying the present and propagating the status ante-quo are signs of a divided past. Using symbols and rhetoric of a bygone era can only be poison to unity and fertile ground for division to flourish.
While Malema’s song “Kill a Boer Kill a Farmer” may have been appropriate inspiration during the struggle to end apartheid it has as little relevance in our society today as has the old South African flag sported by right wing extremists.
South Africa has a new flag under which our Nation is united. Our soldiers, sailors and airmen as well as our policemen and -women swear their oath of allegiance under this flag. It is a symbol of pride and unity. To fly the old national flag or the Transvaal vierkleur is an insult to every South African.
“Kill a Boer Kill a Farmer” is equally inappropriate. The struggle to abolish Apartheid has been won and is over.
Today’s struggle is to feed the Nation, to create jobs and dignifying living conditions for all. This struggle cannot be won by a single political party alone but requires an inclusive effort by all people. To this end we need national symbols and unifying speach addressing all the people beyond party political affiliations.
Fantastic comment Herbert. Thank you for taking the time to make it here.
We truly would be in a much better place as a nation if more South Africans' across the spectrum had your sensibilities in mind as they go through their days in this amazing, beautiful country of ours.
"A young and diverse Nation, like ours in particular, needs to wake up every morning with a new desire and a fresh commitment to search for unifying fundamentals."
Nation building and national pride has got to start with the basics. The revolutionary rhetoric from all sides of the political and social divides needs to be checked and refocused. Imagine how great this nation could be if we all collectively expended half the energy we do on tearing each other apart on rather building each other up?
I'm working on a new project with Voted (one of the other BlaBla writers') at the moment that I think may benefit from an occasional opinion piece along the lines of this comment. Would you be interested? May I pass your contact details onto Voted to get in touch with you?
I like you already and I have not even met you.
Thanks for the good comment. Moving forward as a nation is the single most important thing we should be doing.
Our leaders have calle for calm and restraint once again. I hope this is a genuine move and not just political spin. http://tinyurl.com/y9lpdjv