EFF MP Niehaus calls for whites-only enclaves to 'be eradicated'
CAPE TOWN - Segregated whites-only enclaves in post-apartheid South Africa, like Orania, have come under the spotlight in Parliament, with calls for their eradication.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) led Friday's debate in the National Assembly, with MP Carl Niehaus calling the Orania and Kleinfontein enclaves as an "insidious danger" to nation building.
Parties across the board also voiced their opposition to the two areas, which only allow Afrikaners to take up residence, claiming it's a way to preserve their culture.
The debate, sponsored by the EFF, follows the party's recent march to the Afrikaner-only Kleinfontein settlement near Pretoria.
ALSO READ:
• EFF vows to march to Kleinfontein again if it remains exclusive to Afrikaners
• EFF submits memorandum of demands to Tshwane, urges city to take action against Kleinfontein
• Kleinfontein, Gauteng's own 'Orania lite' facing battle to stay alive
The party has now taken its fight to Parliament, calling for the area and other similar settlements to be dismantled.
EFF MP Carl Niehaus: "These enclaves are a mortal threat to the very soul of our nation and to nation building. They must be eradicated."
The African National Congress (ANC) agreed, with MP Joy Maimela saying that the enclaves should be closely scrutinised.
"Such enclaves pose a serious threat to the progress we have made since 1994, and they must be critically examined for what they truly represent."
The Democratic Alliance (DA)'s Janho Engelbrecht said that not all Afrikaners supported the idea of cultural seperation, but the country must uphold the right of communities to freedom of association and cultural expression as long it's within the bounds of the Constitution.
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