FF+ defends Kleinfontein's cultural community amid MKP's controversial visit
Jaco Mulder of the Fredom Front Plus defended Kleinfontein in Pretoria, saying it deserved recognition for its culture.
Freedom Front Plus (FF+) stated that the MK Party's visit to Kleinfontein, an area exclusively inhabited by white Afrikaners, highlighted the importance of cultural communities and their right to exist in South Africa.
MKP's delegation, led by the parliamentary chief whip, Mzwanele Manyi visited the area in Pretoria on Monday.
The purpose of the fact-finding visit was to engage with local leaders and gain a deeper understanding of how Section 235 of the Constitution is interpreted.
Manyi believes that settlements like Orania and Kleinfontein, which are predominantly inhabited by white Afrikaners, have distorted the intent of Section 235 to promote exclusionary agendas.
In a statement, the FF+ said: 'Unfortunately, the visit took on a racial tone, with Manyi accusing the communities of Kleinfontein and Orania of racism and apartheid'.
'The existence of various cultural communities in a diverse South Africa is a reality and should be recognised in the spirit of the country's motto, !ke e: /xarra //ke (diverse people unite).
'Recognising cultural diversity is precisely what is needed to foster unity within diversity and national pride.
'Cultural communities, including Kleinfontein, Orania, the Zulu cultural community – where 2,8 million hectares in KwaZulu-Natal are regulated by the Ingonyama Trust Act – and many others, reflect South Africa's reality.'
Last year, the Gauteng High Court declared that Kleinfontein was functioning illegally because it did not adhere to the Tshwane Municipality's zoning laws.
However, the party said that for Kleinfontein to comply with legal requirements within the jurisdiction of the Tshwane Metro, the formalisation process should be fair and realistic.
'In light of the fact that more than 600 illegal informal settlements exist within the Tshwane Metro's jurisdiction and are tolerated without any environmental impact studies, land-use registrations or unreasonable tax increases and fines, the measures imposed on Kleinfontein seem unfair,' the party said.
It said Tshwane was not providing any services to the Kleinfontein community, as the community has built and maintains its own roads as well as water and wastewater treatment systems.
FF+ said it would continue to advocate, at the highest level, for the recognition of self-respecting communities, subsidiarity in South Africa.
[email protected]
IOL Politics
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Eyewitness News
3 hours ago
- Eyewitness News
Parliament's Constitutional Review Committee receives more than 250 proposals to change the Constitution
CAPE TOWN - Parliament's Constitutional Review Committee has received more than 250 proposals to amend the Constitution. But it could take up to a year to decide how many of them are worthy of the attention of the committee which is currently still dealing with legal opinions on submissions made during the previous administration. ALSO READ: ActionSA proposes constitutional amendments to stem SA's immigration problems Co-chairperson of the committee, Glynnis Breytenbach says it's an arduous and painstaking process the committee will now embark upon after the deadline for submissions closed at the end of last May. The Constitution was last amended in 2023 to include sign language as an official language. Prior to that, the Constitution had not been amended since 2012 after an attempt to amend Section 25 to allow for land expropriation without compensation in 2021 flopped without the two thirds majority required by the National Assembly. Breytenbach says some submissions exceed 100 pages, and Parliament's administrative and legal staff will have to categorise the submissions depending on their substance. "It's not a must that the committee must find matters that must be brought to the National Assembly. If none of them are of any significant import, then we will again call for submissions." Breytenbach says it could take up to a year to grapple with these serious submissions. "Even that takes a long time because then you have to find the space for those people to come and present. You have to hear all the presentations. The pros and the cons." Among submissions received by the committee deal with the consequences for impeached individuals which Breytenbach says warrants Parliament's urgent attention.
The Citizen
5 hours ago
- The Citizen
Merafong residents brace for major tariff hikes after municipal budget approval
Residents of Merafong are set to experience significant increases in municipal service charges from 1 July 2025, after the 2025/2026 municipal budget was officially approved during a Special Council Meeting on 28 May. The newly approved budget outlines steep hikes across various services: Water tariffs will rise by 15.30% Electricity tariffs will increase by 8–11%, depending on usage Sewerage services will go up by 9.5% Refuse removal will increase by 6% Sundry tariffs will also rise by 6% In addition, property rates for residents living in towns will rise by 5%, while agricultural properties and Public Service Infrastructure (PSI) will see a 3% increase. Mine property rates will rise by 4.4%. The total budgeted expenditure exceeds R2.7 billion, with the largest portion allocated to debt repayment, followed by spending on bulk purchases such as water and electricity. Employee-related costs are expected to total R466,720,835. Despite opposition from the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus), the budget was passed by majority vote. These increases are likely to place additional financial strain on residents already grappling with rising living costs. The municipality has defended the hikes as necessary to ensure service delivery and cover growing operational expenses. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
10 hours ago
- IOL News
Gayton McKenzie faces backlash from Ahmed Kathrada Foundation over 'threats to civil society'
The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation slammed Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, for threatening to shut down civil society organisations. Image: BackpagePix The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation (AKF) has slammed Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, for threatening to shut down it and other civil society organisations. McKenzie made these remarks in a recent interview with the Paris-based English-language quarterly magazine, Africa Report, where he was speaking about the Afrikaner's resettling in the United States, xenophobia and his 2029 leadership vision. McKenzie recently sparked controversy by calling for the dismissal of foreign nationals working in departments under his authority, with many including the AKF and other prominent civil society organisations, criticising him for being xenophobic. During the interview, McKenzie told Africa Report that he would get rid of illegal foreigners and he would close down charities that are anti-government, adding that the country needs patriotic charities. When asked if that included AKF, McKenzie said the foundation is a disgrace to the memory of the anti-apartheid activist, adding that he had never heard them speaking about the poorest of the poor not having jobs. The foundation said these comments are a direct attack on the values of the country's democracy, the rule of law, and the rights of civil society organisations to operate freely in South Africa. 'Minister McKenzie's contempt for our Constitution and the rule of law is serial and sinister. His most recent threats follow the equally dangerous and unlawful directive he issued earlier in May, instructing the dismissal of all foreign nationals employed in entities within his department, under the threat of firing the CEOs of those entities. "These actions were, and remain, entirely without legal foundation and constitute a clear violation of both South Africa's Constitution and its labour laws,' said the foundation. 'It is not just the threat to shut down the AKF that we resist, but the broader pattern of Minister McKenzie's abuse of power. He tells us without shame and repeatedly that a government in which he holds office is one in which his personal whims should hold sway rather than the democratic principles he is sworn to defend,' the foundation said, adding that his actions are not just unlawful, they are dangerous to the social cohesion, stability, and growth of our country. The foundation accused McKenzie of seeking to justify his illegal actions under the guise of advocating for the poor. "A Minister who abuses his power and disregards the Constitution cannot credibly claim to be serious about addressing the very real and grave issues of unemployment, poverty, and inequality in our country. A Minister who actively seeks to alienate the residents of those markets in which our goods, services and industry must find uptake is not a Minister serious about creating jobs or economic growth.' The foundation said the real threats to South Africa's future are not the civil society organisations that speak out against harmful, fact-free policies. Nor are they from those foreign nationals lawfully present in South Africa. It said the true threats are those who, like Minister McKenzie, actively undermine the rule of law, sow divisions and pursue populist agendas at the cost of the common good. 'We call on President Cyril Ramaphosa, the Cabinet, and all responsible authorities to distance themselves from Minister McKenzie's harmful rhetoric and actions. His threats to close organisations like the AKF- whose record speaks for itself and which exists to uphold the values of justice, equality, and democracy- must be rejected in the strongest terms," the foundation said. McKenzie spokesperson, Stacy-Lee Khojane, said the Minister had attended the Comrades Marathon in KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday and was not available to respond. However, shortly after the release of the AKF statement on Friday, McKenzie reaffirmed his stance, saying illegal foreigners in South Africa are protected by very powerful foundations, the media and law societies. 'Once you touch this subject, you will be attacked on all fronts,' he said. [email protected]
