Latest news with #Boer
TimesLIVE
3 days ago
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
'Kill the Boer' chant is dehumanising and dangerous: Cilliers Brink
Former Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink has criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa's stance on the 'Kill the Boer' chant, describing it as 'dehumanising and dangerous'. The controversy surrounding the song resurfaced after US President Donald Trump called for EFF leader Julius Malema's arrest for chanting the song. Ramaphosa dismissed Trump's call early this week, citing the Constitutional Court's decision against considering it hate speech. 'When it comes to the issue of arresting anyone for any slogan, that is a sovereign issue. It's not a matter that we need to be instructed by anyone to arrest anyone,' Ramaphosa said. 'We follow the dictates of our constitution because we are a constitutional state, and we are a country where freedom of expression is the bedrock of our constitutional arrangement.' He said the song is a liberation chant and should not be interpreted as a literal statement of intent. 'The slogan, 'kill the Boer, kill the farmer,' is a liberation chant and slogan. That's not meant to be a message that elicits or calls upon anyone to go and be killed. And that is what our court decided.' Taking to X, Brink argued that Ramaphosa had a constitutional obligation to promote national unity. 'Condemning the singing of that song as fundamentally un-South African is not a matter of sovereignty, but of statesmanship and basic decency,' Brink said. 'That Ramaphosa has failed to do so says a great deal about him and what he stands for.' The Constitutional Court dismissed AfriForum's bid to have the song declared hate speech, upholding the equality court's 2022 ruling that the song is protected under freedom of expression. 'It is appalling that our courts have decided to declare the racist death chant as protected speech,' Brink said. 'To be kind to those judges, their estimation is probably that the state is too weak and politically compromised to enforce hate speech laws against the likes of Malema. So they pretend that the singing of 'Kill the Boer' is not an incitement of violence against a group based on race and ethnicity.'
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Abandoned UK city centre branded a ‘grot spot' where empty department store left to rot is set for £200,000 makeover
The decision has been met by mixed reactions from locals NEW SLATE Abandoned UK city centre branded a 'grot spot' where empty department store left to rot is set for £200,000 makeover A HIGH street 'grot spot' is set to undergo a £200,000 transformation in the hopes of reviving the area. The street has been tarnished by an abandoned department store and is in desperate need of rejuvenation. Advertisement 2 Canterbury City Council approved the plans earlier this week 2 St Mary Bredman Square in Canterbury will be revamped in £200,000 project A £200,000 revamp project is set to restore a Canterbury high street to its former glory. St Mary Bredman Square, Kent, which contains a Grade-II listed war memorial, has been approved for development. Plans were approved this week following their submission in March. Canturbery City Council plan to use some of the £22 million they received from the previous government's Levelling Up scheme. Advertisement Read more News URGENT SEARCH Girl falls into huge UK dam as cops launch desperate underwater search The proposals include new steps and seating, improved flowerbeds and a new mural. The planning officer wrote: "The proposal preserves the special interest pf the Grade-II listed memorials and is acceptable." They added: "In conclusion, the works proposed are acceptable and preserve the historic and architectural significance of the war memorials." The memorial commemorates Royal East Kent Yeomanry soldiers who died in the Boer and First World War, in addition to a memorial for animals that died during the conflict. Advertisement Comments from locals seemed less enthusiastic about the development. One wrote: "Save the money. It's such a small space." While another added: "Need a bit more than £200k to sort this!" Huddersfield Station Closure: £70 Million Revamp Set to Transform Travel Yet others felt that the £200k cost seemed unreasonable given how little work the square needs. Advertisement One Facebook user commented: "I'm sorry, but I can't believe it's going to take £200k to pretty it up slightly, add a few steps and do next to nothing with the department store building around it that's been empty for years. "Surely you could do this for a fraction of the money?" Others said that the square itself isn't the problem - it's the derelict buildings surrounding it that have left it feeling uninviting. Some locals suggested that the community should come together to clean up the area. Advertisement Stewart Ross, chairman of Canterbury Commemoration Society has said that the war memorial should be moved alongside other memorials in Dane John Gardens. Stewart told the BBC: "Certainly, [the refurbishment] needs to be done because it's a pretty crucial area in the history of Canterbury. "It could be quite attractive and we'd support any work being done to improve it. "It needs a bit of artwork there rather than that out-of-place memorial statue." Advertisement The abandoned department store - a former Nasons - is also Grade II listed. It comes as towns across the country have tried to revive their high streets following a decline in footfall since Covid. High streets have been left with empty stores and dilapidated shop fronts as councils try to revive the struggling areas. Croydon recently promised a £5 billion revamp complete with a new shopping centre and train station. Advertisement While Oxford Council has become increasingly frustrated by the lack of progress on a redevelopment project in Cowley.
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Abandoned UK city centre branded a ‘grot spot' where empty department store left to rot is set for £200,000 makeover
A HIGH street 'grot spot' is set to undergo a £200,000 transformation in the hopes of reviving the area. The street has been tarnished by an abandoned department store and is in desperate need of rejuvenation. 2 Canterbury City Council approved the plans earlier this week 2 St Mary Bredman Square in Canterbury will be revamped in £200,000 project A £200,000 revamp project is set to restore a St Mary Bredman Square, Kent, which contains a Grade-II listed war memorial, has been approved for development. Canturbery City Council plan to use some of the £22 million they received from the previous government's Levelling Up scheme. Read more News The proposals include new steps and seating, improved flowerbeds and a new mural. The They The memorial commemorates Royal East Kent Yeomanry soldiers who died in the Boer and First World War, in addition to a memorial for animals that died during the conflict. Most read in The Sun Comments from locals seemed less enthusiastic about the development. One wrote: "Save the money. It's such a small space." While another added: "Need a bit more than £200k to sort this!" Huddersfield Station Closure: £70 Million Revamp Set to Transform Travel Yet others felt that the £200k cost One "Surely you could do this for a fraction of the money?" Others said that the square itself isn't the problem - it's the derelict buildings surrounding it that have left it feeling uninviting. Some locals suggested that the community should come together to clean up the area. Stewart Ross, chairman of Canterbury Commemoration Society has said that the Stewart told the BBC: "Certainly, [the refurbishment] needs to be done because it's a pretty crucial area in the history of Canterbury. "It could be quite attractive and we'd support any work being done to improve it. "It needs a bit of artwork there rather than that out-of-place memorial statue." The abandoned department store - a former Nasons - is also Grade II listed. It comes as towns across the country have tried to revive their high streets following a decline in footfall since Covid. High streets have been left with empty stores and dilapidated shop fronts as councils try to revive the struggling areas. While
The Citizen
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
South African fans have always walked with The Reds
Liverpool's reach into South Africa goes far beyond branding, with a rich history of South African-born players and the Spioenkop battlefield. At first, it seems odd that a major international financial brand like Standard Chartered would take out a newspaper advert in South Africa celebrating Liverpool Football Club's triumph in the English Premier League… as it did yesterday in The Citizen. This, after all, is a club a world away from our country… Yet, Liverpool is one of the most powerful sporting brands in the world – and even in South Africa it probably rates in the top five most-supported football clubs, along with local sides Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs and 'Pool's' rivals, Manchester United. That fanatical support is not only because Liverpool have been a highly successful side over the years, but also because this country has a number of connections with the English club. ALSO READ: Alexander-Arnold 'never felt so loved' as Liverpool star says farewell A total of 14 players born in South Africa have played for Liverpool over the years, with perhaps the most famous being Durban boykie Bruce Grobbelaar, a goalkeeper still rated as one of the best in the club's history. Then there is the famous stand, the Kop, named after Spioenkop, where hundreds of Liverpool lads died during the Boer war. Liverpool fans will never walk alone with their South African mates walking on with them.
IOL News
24-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
ANC denies easing B-BBEE rules to benefit Elon Musk, denounces Trump's ‘white genocide' as a comedy
ANC first deputy secretary general Nomvula Mokonyane has rejected suggestions that B-BBEE reforms aim to ease Starlink's entry into South Africa. Image: File The meeting, which was attended by President Cyril Ramaphosa and Trump, involved Rupert urging officials to fast-track Starlink's launch, citing economic stagnation and rising crime. 'We need Starlink in South Africa,' Rupert said, emphasising the importance of technological advancement for the country's future. Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, a member of the Democratic Alliance (DA), gazetted the policy direction on the role of investment programmes (EElPs) in the ICT sector, saying they are tools to accelerate broadband access. Mokonyane emphasised that the meeting was intended to mend strained relations between the two countries and had achieved its goal. 'We emphasised continuously that we believe in proper diplomatic communication, and this has happened." According to her, Ramaphosa was invited by Trump, and the two leaders engaged in discussions alongside their respective delegates. 'And of importance, the President was not chased away, the President didn't walk away," Mokonyane said. "He, together with the delegation, affirmed the issues that even President Trump himself was misleading the world about because it was totally disinformation, actually the showing off of pictures and information that has got nothing to do with South Africa, that has got nothing to do with redress, that has got nothing to do with racism." She described the closed-door talks as productive, adding that discussions around Trump's participation in the upcoming G20 are ongoing and that Minister of Trade and Industry Parks Tau is continuing related negotiations. Mokonyane has also vehemently rejected Trump's repeated claims of 'white genocide' in South Africa. 'And of importance, the issues about the notion of genocide. Whether it's genocide, we've got the courts of the world, that those matters must actually be filed. But we now know it was just a comedy, nothing that has to do with South Africa, nothing that has to do with white farmers in South Africa.' This comes after Trump ambushed Ramaphosa during a tense exchange with a series of contested claims about the killings of white farmers in South Africa, referring to it as white genocide. Trump asked for a montage of video clips to be played, which showed Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) president Julius Malema chanting 'Kill the Boer' and footage that showed rows of crosses, which Trump said were the graves of white people. "People are fleeing South Africa for their own safety. Their land is being confiscated, and in many cases, they're being killed," Trump said. Responding to the footage, Ramaphosa asked Trump if he knew this was, saying he had never seen it before. Trump insisted it was in South Africa. Meanwhile, when asked if ANC officials had received feedback from the US visit suggesting Musk was involved in the discussions, Mokonyane dismissed the idea. 'We have the privilege of having the President, who is the President of the ANC, and the Minister of International Relations, who actually acted like a diplomat, who has also confirmed that what happened in closed doors had nothing to do with Elon Musk, had nothing to do with Starlink. In fact, it was never a matter in those deliberations,' she said. Mokonyane also rejected speculation that the recent policy direction was aimed at helping Musk secure a license. 'South Africa cannot create laws specifically for Elon Musk. We know that even with the World Cup, the amendment of the legal framework had to do with what is good for South Africa,' she said. She added that Parliament must now play its role. 'We should actually allow a situation where the Portfolio Committee, as it has committed, must actually summon the Minister and let the Minister come and account and explain himself. Because there is also a misunderstanding of what his powers are,' Mokonyane added. The EFF, uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party), including the ANC Youth League have rrejected a gazetted policy proposal to ease Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) requirements for the licensing of satellite communication services, such as Musk's Starlink. [email protected] IOL Politics Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel
