Durban - The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has broken its silence on the recent anti-Indian rhetoric by an African forum, assuring minority communities that such utterances would not be tolerated.
The ANC’s provincial leadership, including chairman, Senzo Mchunu, met a high-profile delegation of Indian business and political leaders in Chatsworth on Sunday after the community outrage by remarks last month by KZN businessman, Phumlani Mfeka, spokesman for the Mazibuye African Forum.
In a widely circulated letter, Mfeka, reacting to a decision by Newcastle mayor Afzul Rehman to lay a crimen injuria charge against a black traffic officer who called him a “Gupta” and told him to go back to India, warned the Indian mayor “not to grandstand against an African person”.
He wrote that Africans in KZN “do not regard Indians as their brethren and thus the ticking time bomb of a deadly confrontation between the two communities is inevitable and shall be exacerbated by the antagonistic attitude that Indians such as yourself and Vivian Reddy have”.
The traffic official was correct in reminding Rehman that India was his home, wrote Mfeka, “and you should perhaps begin to embrace India as your home as we Africans embrace South Africa as our home which we historically are more than willing to fight and die for”.
The Mazibuye African Forum also wants Indians in KZN to lose their BEE and affirmative action status as it believes they are not African. The group argues Indians and Africans were not oppressed to the same degree under apartheid.
But the 500-strong crowd that gathered in Havenside, Chatsworth yesterday were assured by the provincial ANC leadership that there was a place for all minorities.
Mchunu distanced the party from the rhetoric and said he was speaking on principle.
Among those who attended the meeting were Rehman, businessmen Santha Naidoo, Vivian Reddy and Sivan Dorasamy, Ela Gandhi, Pietermaritzburg mayor Yusuf Bhamjee, eThekwini Speaker Logie Naidoo, Human Settlements MEC Ravi Pillay, Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan and ANC councillors Brandon Pillay and Omie Singh.
Mchunu is believed to have called the meeting to address issues afflicting the Indian community, particularly the forum’s comments.
A source, who did not want to be named, said Mchunu reassured the gathering that the anti-Indian utterances by the forum should be dismissed.
“He said there was no need for the Indian community to deal with the forum on their own. He gave an assurance that the ANC would deal with them.”
The source said Mchunu stressed the ANC had the interests of all minorities at heart.
“He told us that there was a place for everyone – including Indians – in this country. That we should not live in fear that we would be sidelined in respect of BEE and affirmative action,” the source said.
“He said Indians were regarded as blacks in South Africa. That there would be no discrimination in respect of jobs and other opportunities. On the issue of service delivery, assurances were also given that Indians would not be sidelined in respect of housing.”
Mchunu also spoke on the dispute involving Rehman and the traffic officer, saying it was not a race issue; that it was unfortunate it happened but the reality was that it could have happened between any two people of any race group.
“Mchunu said the office of the Public Protector and the Human Rights Commission were mechanisms put in place to address issues of non-service delivery, violation of human rights, corruption and other issues,” the source said.
He said Gordhan warned against corruption and urged the gathering to report corruption.
In an interview last night, Mchunu said he was upset and angered when he first heard about the forum’s anti-Indian rhetoric.
“What the forum has said about the Indian community is wrong... it is not backed by any content or fact. It is devoid of principle, historical fact and nation building,” he said.
“The Indian and coloured communities were oppressed. They were previously disadvantaged. It is a fact. There is proof of that.
“They did not enjoy the same privileges as the whites. They were never equal to the whites. Does this not make them disadvantaged?”
Mchunu said an urgent meeting was expected to be convened with the forum this week.
“There have been rumours that they claim to be ANC members. If that is the case, then we need to spell out the ANC policy to them.
“They must also know – in no uncertain terms – that we distance ourselves from their anti-Indian utterances. This kind of talk will not be tolerated.”
Mchunu said the issues of race should not be made into a “petty” one.
“This issue of race in South Africa has been painful, costly and anti-human,” he said. “But, we will work tirelessly to remove the last legacy of apartheid based on race.”
Daily News