‘Ironic’: AfriForum fires back at Ramaphosa’s ‘division’ claims

AfriForum has responded to President Cyril Ramaphosa's accusations that the organisation, together with trade union Solidarity, is “sowing division” in SA through their visit to the US.

The groups are in Washington to meet representatives of US President Donald Trump's administration amid tensions between SA and the US over land policies.

Ramaphosa slammed AfriForum and Solidarity's visit, saying they should focus on solving SAs problems internally rather than taking their grievances abroad.

“As proud South Africans we prefer that we should all stay here and solve our problems. What they are doing is sowing divisions in our nation,” Ramaphosa said.

AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel said Ramaphosa's accusations are “ironic.”

He accused Ramaphosa and the ANC leadership of being the ones who are “sowing division” with the implementation of contentious acts such as the Bela Act and the Expropriation Act, which AfriForum has opposed.

“It is Ramaphosa who signed the anti-Afrikaans Bela Act, an act that threatens the cultural existence of Afrikaans-speaking cultural communities. It is also Ramaphosa who signed the Expropriation Act. It is he who refuses to condemn slogans such as ‘Kill the Boer’ and it is the same president who denies the existence of farm murders,” Kriel said.

He said his organisation and Solidarity have sent letters to the president about the issues, and the tensions with the US, but have not received a response.

“We will not be deterred. We will continue to fight for the interests of the country, and we will also fight unashamedly for the interests of Afrikaners. These statements only motivate us more to get our message out loud and clear.

“We are not going to be silenced by ‘cancel culture’ and we look forward to the future.”

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