Kleinfontein board appreciates engagement with MK Party despite differences in opinion
Chairperson of the Kleinfontein board of directors Rian Genis said while they hold differing opinions with the MK party, they appreciate the visit.
"What I really appreciate is that they visited us, spoke to us, listened to us, heard what we had to say, and we feel that positive. There's a lot of noise in the media and a lot of aggressive noise from the side of the eff and MK party towards Afrikaners in general and our communities and we appreciate a dialogue because that's the way we take this forward.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
37 minutes ago
- IOL News
South Africa slams US human rights report as ‘inaccurate and misleading'
South Africa's government has fiercely rejected a US report alleging racial targeting and extrajudicial killings, saying it is based on discredited sources and lacks context. Image: Peter Zay / AFP Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola has expressed deep disappointment with the recent US State Department report on human rights in South Africa, calling it 'inaccurate and deeply flawed.' The report alleges that South Africa is moving towards land expropriation targeting Afrikaners and mistreating racial minorities, claims the South African government has strongly rejected. Lamola expressed 'profound disappointment' with the report. 'We find the report to be an inaccurate and deeply flawed account that fails to reflect the reality of our constitutional democracy,' said Chrispin Phiri, DIRCO spokesperson. He added that the report's reliance on 'a-contextual information and discredited accounts' is highly concerning. 'It cites an incident involving the deaths of farm workers and, despite the matter being actively adjudicated by our independent judiciary, misleadingly presents it as an extrajudicial killing,' said Phiri. 'This is not only premature but a fundamental distortion of the facts, as the individuals are formally arraigned before a court of law.' He also criticised how the report handled issues involving police conduct. 'Similarly, incidents of police using force are mentioned without acknowledging the robust processes in place, where institutions designed to protect our democracy are actively investigating whether due process was followed and if such force was warranted,' he said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Phiri said South Africa operates a transparent system, where information is freely available from law enforcement agencies and Chapter 9 institutions, which are constitutionally mandated to protect and advance human rights. 'It is ironic that a report from a nation that has exited by the UN Human Rights Council and therefore no longer sees itself accountable in a multilateral peer review system would seek to produce one side fact free reports without any due process or engagement,' he said. 'This is particularly striking given the significant and documented concerns about human rights within the United States, including the treatment of refugees and breaches in due process by its own agencies, such as ICE.' Phiri contrasted the US report with a recent assessment from the United Nations Human Rights Office in Geneva, which he said it endorsed South Africa's land reform programme. 'This recognition from the UN's primary human rights body underscores the integrity of our legislative processes aimed at rectifying historical injustices in a constitutional and human-rights-based manner,' he said. He added that the government is compiling a set of documents that will be released to the public during the course of the week. 'A cursory reading of reports from the South African Human Rights Commission and the UN Human Rights Council, as well as articles from reputable news agencies like the AFP serve to correct the distortions and set the record straight on South Africa's unwavering commitment to human rights.' The US report alleged multiple instances where the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings. 'In July the provincial police commissioner confirmed that as of April, police shot and killed at least 40 criminal suspects in shoot-outs. On September 2, police reported six suspects wanted for homicide and extortion were shot and killed by Durban police in a shoot-out,' it said. It further referenced a January report from the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) on the 2021 unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, which resulted in the deaths of 337 people and the arrest of 3,400 others. According to the report, the SAHRC found the government and police shortcomings in intelligence sharing and described the South African Police Service as 'ill-prepared to deal with orchestrated attacks'. Another incident cited involved the shooting deaths of two Black women on a Limpopo farm. 'It noted government and police shortcomings in sharing intelligence to prevent escalation of violence and described the South African Police Service (SAPS) as 'ill-prepared to deal with orchestrated attacks'. It further said that the SAHRC reported that on August 30, two Black women, ages 45 and 35, were shot and killed at a farm in Limpopo. 'According to the SAHRC, a swineherd and two employees were arrested and appeared in court on charges of killing the women. The victims were allegedly shot and killed and their remains fed to the swineherd's pigs.' The report went on to allege that according to data compiled by Agence France-Presse (AFP), there were 447 murders on farms and smallholdings between October 2023 and September 2024. It also alleged that the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) encouraged violence against Afrikaner farmers by reviving the controversial song 'Kill the Boer (Farmer)' at its rallies and otherwise inciting violence. However, EFF leader Julius Malema has since vowed to continue singing the song after the Constitutional Court ruled that it does not incite violence, hate speech or promote killings of white farmers. The report also claimed that refugee advocacy organisations have said that police and immigration officials physically abused refugees and asylum seekers. 'Violence against migrants, including asylum seekers and refugees, was a continuing problem across the country. Those targeted often owned or managed small, informal grocery stores in economically marginalised areas that lacked government services,' the report said. However, the South African government has vehemently denied all the claims, calling them misleading. IOL Politics
The Citizen
5 hours ago
- The Citizen
Dirco rejects ‘inaccurate and deeply flawed' US reports on SA human rights
The Executive Summary to the US Report on South Africa states that the human rights situation in South Africa 'significantly worsened'. The South African Government has rejected an ' inaccurate and deeply flawed account' of human rights practices in the country. This follows a damning report published by the US State Department, which accuses Pretoria of several human rights abuses. According to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco), the report 'distorted' facts from three articles, an AFP story about 'False data distorts complex picture of South Africa', 'Tears and outrage in South Africa as accused in pig farm murder walks free', and 'Presidential Response on July unrests.' US executive summary The Executive Summary to the US Report on South Africa states that the human rights situation in South Africa 'significantly worsened during the year', with the signing of the Expropriation Bill on 20 December. 'South Africa took a substantially worrying step towards land expropriation of Afrikaners and further abuses against racial minorities in the country,' it read. 'Significant human rights issues included credible reports of arbitrary or unlawful killings, arbitrary arrest or detention and the repression of racial minorities.' ALSO READ: Ramaphosa responds to US' push for sanctions against SA leaders The report also claimed that the government did not take credible steps to investigate, 'prosecute, and punish officials who committed human rights abuses', including inflammatory racial rhetoric against Afrikaners and other racial minorities, or violence against racial minorities. 'Disappointment' Dirco spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said there is a 'profound disappointment' with the recent report on human rights in South Africa published by the US State department. 'We find the report to be an inaccurate and deeply flawed account that fails to reflect the reality of our constitutional democracy. 'The report's reliance on a-contextual information and discredited accounts is highly concerning. It cites an incident involving the deaths of farm workers and, despite the matter being actively adjudicated by our independent judiciary, misleadingly presents it as an extrajudicial killing,' Phiri said. 'Distortion' Phiri added that this is not only premature but a 'fundamental distortion of the facts', as the individuals are formally arraigned before a court of law. ALSO READ: US Congressman Ronny Jackson introduces bill to hold SA accountable 'Similarly, incidents of police using force are mentioned without acknowledging the robust processes in place, where institutions designed to protect our democracy are actively investigating whether due process was followed and if such force was warranted.' Transparency Phiri stressed that South Africa operates a transparent system where information is freely available from law enforcement agencies and Chapter 9 institutions, which are constitutionally mandated to protect and advance human rights. 'It is ironic that a report from a nation that has exited the UN Human Rights Council and therefore no longer sees itself accountable in a multilateral peer review system would seek to produce one-sided, fact-free reports without any due process or engagement,' Phiri said. 'This is particularly striking given the significant and documented concerns about human rights within the United States, including the treatment of refugees and breaches in due process by its own agencies, such as ICE. 'In stark contrast to the US report, we note the recent assessment from the United Nations Human Rights Office in Geneva. The UN has described South Africa's Land Expropriation Act, signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa, as a critical step in addressing the country's racially imbalanced land ownership,' he said. Documents Phiri added that the recognition from the UN's primary human rights body underscores the integrity of the legislative processes aimed at rectifying 'historical injustices in a constitutional and human-rights-based manner.' 'To provide a complete and accurate picture, we are compiling a set of documents, which we will release for public perusal during the course of the week. 'A cursory reading of reports from the South African Human Rights Commission and the UN Human Rights Council, as well as articles from reputable news agencies like the AFP, serves to correct the distortions and set the record straight on South Africa's unwavering commitment to human rights,' Phiri said. Phiri said Pretoria remains 'open to addressing these distortions through the diplomatic channels.' ALSO READ: WATCH: Donald Trump ambushes Cyril Ramaphosa in Oval Office
The Star
21 hours ago
- The Star
MK Party alleges State Capture 2. 0 in new RAF board appointments
Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) says it is seeking legal advice over what it describes as the unlawful appointment of non-executive directors to the boards of various public entities under the Department of Transport. The party claims the move mirrors previous controversial appointments to SETA boards, which it says led to the removal of former Minister of Higher Education, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane. The MK Party accuses Transport Minister Barbara Creecy of recycling ANC loyalists and political allies into cushy board positions following the ANC's electoral losses in the May 2024 general election. It pointed to the recent appointment of individuals such as Kenneth Brown, Richard Dyantyi, and Neeshan Balton to the interim board of the Road Accident Fund (RAF) as proof of a political reward system at play. 'These appointments advance the very agenda we have consistently warned against,' said MK Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela. 'The board is now overrun with individuals seemingly handpicked to return the RAF to the control of corrupt lawyers and exploitative medical aid schemes like Discovery, which openly pressured the Minister and her Deputy to remove Collins Letsoalo.' The MK Party argues the appointments were not based on merit or compliance with the Companies Act, but rather on political favouritism and loyalty to President Cyril Ramaphosa. The party questioned the qualifications and motives behind the appointments of Brown, Dyantyi, and Balton, asking: 'What skills, experience or expertise do Kenneth Brown, Richard Dyantyi and Neeshan Balton bring, aside from being rewarded for attacking President Zuma and other black professionals?' Ndhlela added: 'We demand full transparency from the Minister regarding the process used to assess the suitability of the appointed candidates. ''What criteria were applied, and was this process in accordance with the Companies Act? Or were these appointments influenced by their favourite, deeply compromised Judge Zondo, the very same judge who advised the President on how board appointments should be made?' He further accused Creecy of disregarding the findings of the State Capture Commission led by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, calling Zondo 'nothing more than a political tool used by Mr Ramaphosa to target his opponents.' 'The so-called 'State Capture' recommendations he issued have clearly been discarded by Ramaphosa himself and ignored entirely by his Ministers,'' he said. The party also criticised the composition of the new RAF Board, which it claims is 'packed with Ramaphosa loyalists' and is aimed at reversing reforms introduced by former CEO Collins Letsoalo.
