The Afrikaner rights group AfriForum says its communities across the country will safeguard themselves as it believes the South African Police Service (SAPS) cannot be “relied on to duly fight crime in South Africa”.
This was one of 15 motions adopted by the organisation’s members at its national congress in Limpopo on Saturday.
“Although the Congress expressed their gratitude to the many police officers who are doing exceptional work‚ reality shows that we’ll only be able to live free‚ safe and prosperous in South Africa if we take responsibility for our own safety‚” Cornelius Jansen van Rensburg‚ Deputy CEO of AfriForum‚ said.
He said the congress had also decided that the instituting and reinforcement of community safety networks would be one of AfriForum’s key priorities‚ and that AfriForum would develop a practical safety focus on national level as well as in local communities.
The congress also accepted a motion of no confidence in National Police Commissioner General Riah Phiyega and decided unanimously that she should be removed from her post.
Other motions accepted at the congress include a decision that “where and when radical groups like the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) attempt to grab land‚ AfriForum will mobilise communities and ensure that the rights of land owners are protected through legal actions”.
Neighbourhood watches would also be utilised to ensure the safety of AfriForum members‚ the organisation stated.
It added: “The congress has noted the deterioration in government capacity which has led to amongst others the dilapidation of municipal and other services. Although AfriForum regards this state of affairs as a violation of their members’ rights‚ the Congress is of the view that government dependency should be replaced with community self-reliance.
“The congress reconfirmed that AfriForum will not let themselves be dictated by ideas which are politically popular at a certain time‚ but that AfriForum will – in the execution of their campaigns – see to it that their conduct is constructive and conducive to their vision and mission. The congress is however also of the view that political correctness and morally justifiable conduct is not necessarily the same thing. As a result‚ it was decided that political correctness will not dictate the organisation‚ but that their conduct should at all times be morally justifiable.
“The congress declared that‚ although AfriForum has a specific focus on the Afrikaner as a minority group‚ it does not imply that the organisation functions against any other community. On the contrary‚ the national and local structures of AfriForum will strive towards the promotion of mutual recognition and respect among communities. The Congress has also agreed in unison that it’s not in the interest of the Afrikaner to promote Afrikanership to the detriment of other communities.”
Source: RDM News Wire.
South Africa Today – South Africa News
