Multiracial lesson for white city enclave

Published May 24, 2013

Share

Pretoria - The DA Youth came face-to-face with the community of Kleinfontein and the Vierkleur flag when they marched to the gates of the cultural community on Thursdayin protest of their “racial policies”.

About 50 members of the DA Youth gathered outside the gates of the the community south-east of Pretoria which is excusively, white, Christian and Afrikaans.

The protesters sang songs and carried posters with the phrases “Apartheid is over. Deal with it” and “One nation. One future”.

Some residents of Kleinfontein gathered at the other side of the gate with a large Vierkleur.

Just before noon, chairman of the Kleinfontein board and the community’s founder, Jan Groenewald, walked out of the gated community to meet the DA leaders.

He was accompanied by local businessman, Dannie de Beer, and communications officer, Marisa Haasbroek. He invited the leaders in for a formal meeting.

Outside, Groenewald addressed the media saying the DA should have spoken to them before embarking on a protest. “They did not speak to us about what we are all about before the protest - we heard they were coming through the media. They did not make an appointment to see us,” Groenewald said.

Once inside, Groenewald addressed the DA about the history and background of the community and what they stand for.

“We have the right to promote our own culture,” he said, adding the constitution, specifically Article 235, allowed them to live as they do.

De Beer said there is no signage excluding other races from the community and he accused the DA of jumping on the racial bandwagon. “We are focused on culture and not on race,” he said.

DA Youth leader Mbali Ntuli said they would not allow separatism as it takes the country back to apartheid.

“We achieve nothing by creating secluded areas. We want to show the residents of Kleinfontein what true diversity looks like,” she said. Groenewald warned the DA not to “impose themselves on the community”.

“The DA has a model of doing things but we have a different model. We sense intolerance on the part of the DA,” said Groenewald.

A heated discussion ensued.

Ntuli asked about the bust of Hendrik Verwoerd at the entrance to the community and Groenewald responded that he was part of the Afrikaners’ history. As the meeting ended Groenewald urged the DA not to make assumptions based on what they hear.

Ntuli afterwards described the meeting as positive.

Theunis Botha, leader of the Christian Democratic Party (CDP), warned the DA to “revise their attitude” towards the people of Kleinfontein. “In a heterogeneous country where polarisation is rife, one must be extremely careful not to do things that will increase tensions with misplaced interpretations of the constitution,” Botha said.

The CDP said the constitution permitted the community the right to self-determination. “We find it unacceptable that the DA’s youth wing has responded in the way that it has by politicising a sensitive matter such as the Kleinfontein issue. Especially, accusing the community of acting unconstitutionally,” Botha said, urging the DA Youth to ensure that proper damage control is done.

Pretoria News

Related Topics: