The Herald (South Africa)

Silence ‘repugnant’ Hofmeyr‚ fellow old boy asks education chief

- Nashira Davids

ONE of musician Steve Hofmeyr’s fellow old boys from Grey College in Bloemfonte­in wants his performanc­e at a primary school stopped.

Des Bailes has written to the Western Cape Department of Education asking it to prevent the controvers­ial Afrikaans singer from performing at Overberg Primary School in Caledon on April 20. For years‚ Hofmeyr has courted controvers­y with remarks about the treatment of Afrikaners‚ and recently he lashed out at media coverage about the death of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

Bailes said Hofmeyr was dividing the country with his remarks.

“Mr Hofmeyr is notorious for his overt racism‚ with statements like ‘black people were the architects of apartheid’ and ‘certain aspects of apartheid were brilliant’‚” he said in a letter to Education MEC Debbie Schafer on Monday.

“How are the black learners to feel when this repugnant Afrikaner with racist views starts singing the old anthem and the apartheid flags start waving?

“There are many more suitable venues in Caledon where Mr Hofmeyr could perform his disgusting brand of Afrikaner racism.

“This has nothing to do with free speech but only respect and equality for all members of the community‚” he said‚ appealing to the DA to use this opportunit­y to take a stance against “racism and white privilege”.

Hofmeyr’s assistant‚ Leeza Mulder‚ said he was performing on a boat but she would try to contact him. Mulder also said the performanc­e was not for the pupils but for those who had bought tickets in the town.

At the weekend, Bailes also wrote to councillor­s in Kraaifonte­in‚ where Hofmeyr will be performing at the town hall.

“I call for the immediate cancellati­on of this concert and the dismissal of those responsibl­e for sanctionin­g this disgracefu­l racist event‚” he said.

 ??  ?? STEVE HOFMEYR
STEVE HOFMEYR

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