Solidarity's Kleynhans faces call to address 'fake genocide' narrative
President Cyril Ramaphosa with Donald Trump in the White House.
Image: File
The head of Solidarity's public liaison, Jaco Kleynhans, has been urged by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) to condemn the false narrative of white genocide that US President Donald Trump has perpetuated internationally.
This started when Kleynhans claimed that South Africa does not have "racist laws," but rather "race laws."
"Some people in government have an exceptional ability to play with words. No one spoke of 'racist laws' but of 'race laws' which refers to legislation that prescribes racial classification, encourages or enforces racial discrimination either voluntarily or compulsorily, proposes or enforces racial quotas or broadly forces South Africans into racial camps," he said.
Kleynhans went on to say that to deny the existence of 'racist laws' in South Africa is simply shifting the goalposts.
"South Africa has 145 race laws that completely alienate minorities, discriminate against people, lead to a huge outflow of highly skilled South Africans, and unnecessarily encourage racial division and racial tension."
In response, Dirco spokesperson, Chrispin Phiri was incredulous and called Kleynhans 'insufferable'. "Now it's 145...Insufferable. Call out the fake white genocide narrative. Otherwise go argue with the Constitutional Court of South Africa more specifically Justice Ackermann."
Phiri cited the Constitutional Court of South Africa (in the case National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality v Minister of Justice) in a judgment delivered in 1999.
"It is insufficient for the Constitution merely to ensure, through its Bill of Rights, that statutory provisions which have caused such unfair discrimination in the past are eliminated.
"Past unfair discrimination frequently has ongoing negative consequences, the continuation of which is not halted immediately when the initial causes thereof are eliminated, and unless remedied, may continue for a substantial time and even indefinitely. Like justice, equality delayed is equality denied," said Ackermann.
Political analyst Siyabonga Ntombela said that Solidarity is one of the organisations that are responsible for planting and propagating the ideas into Trump's mind.
"Although they may have not used the word 'genocide', but they insinuated there is, which amounts to saying it. Also, look at the timing between their visit to the US and the spend of this news.
"I believe these organisations said this to someone in President Trump's administration who enjoys the president's trust and ear, and that individual exaggerated everything. It is now difficult to convince Trump otherwise without that person flipping the script," said Ntombela.
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