The Citizen (Gauteng)

‘Kill The Boer’ book outrage

There is angry condemnati­on of a controvers­ial book due to be released by AfriForum tomorrow.

- Simnikiwe Hlatshanen­i – simnikiweh@citizen.co.za

The publicatio­n is being launched tomorrow.

Kill The Boer, a book which politician­s have labelled as racial populism, is being launched tomorrow by minority interest group AfriForum. The book, according to its author and CEO of AfriForum, Ernst Roets, claims politician­s and government were complicit in the proliferat­ion of farm murders, which the organisati­on believe are racially motivated. Excerpts obtained by The Citizen from the book’s original manuscript detail shocking accusation­s, comparing the EFF to an “ethnic cleanser” and relaying an alleged murder plot by the ANC to “scare” white farmers off “their” land.

Roets said he could not confirm whether the excerpts were in fact from his book, but in the same breath vowed to find the people who “leaked” the pages and institute legal action against them.

One of the pages relays a conversati­on between an alleged ANC member and AfriForum.

“He then said that the leadership of the ANC was fully aware of the farm attacks and were also involved.”

The so-called informant goes on to explain that he received orders from the ANC’s “top six” to murder a specific farmer.

“They did so because they wanted to send a message to white farmers and to scare them off their land.”

Renowned crime expert Johan Burger said that while he did not endorse the book, he agreed that his research may be used in the book, because he agreed with the sentiment that farm murders were a serious crime issue. He conceded, however, that certain elements of the book were “less than agreeable” to him.

The EFF has described the excerpts seen as “sick”.

After seeing extracts from the book, EFF deputy secretary- general Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi, said: “AfriForum are sick people who are hell-bent to twist the facts that 72% of land is owned by white people and it’s due to land dispossess­ion that happened during colonial times.”

In response to the claims that the party is attempting to ethnically cleanse white farmers, she said: “They are mad.”

South African National Civic Organisati­on spokespers­on Jabu Mahlangu said he was concerned about the narrative the book was employing, saying it would likely spark racial tensions.

He said he knew for a fact that the accusation that the ANC was involved in farm murders was prepostero­us. “Such hype and sensationa­lism could actually lead to resentment and that puts the country in a dangerous position.”

DA federal executive member Thomas Walters said he was concerned that such “racial populism” was not representa­tive of the reality experience­d by most South Africans.

 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from South Africa