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Minister in the Presidency Trevor Manuel accused government spokesman Jimmy Manyi of being a racist.
Minister in the Presidency Trevor Manuel has branded Jimmy Manyi, spokesman for President Jacob Zuma and the ANC government, a racist “in the mould of HF Verwoerd”.
“I want to put it to you that your behaviour is of the worst-order racist,” Manuel said in an open letter following Manyi’s remarks about an “over-concentration of coloureds” in the Western Cape, which the ANC and others have denounced.
Manuel added: “I have a sense that your racism has infiltrated the highest echelons of government.”
As president of the Black Management Forum (BMF) and then director-general of the Labour Department, Manyi made the remarks in an interview with Freek Robinson on KykNet in March last year.
The interview made headlines when Solidarity posted it on YouTube last week as part of a campaign against proposed amendments to the Employment Equity Act.
“I want to put it to you that these statements would make you a racist in the mould of HF Verwoerd,” Manuel said.
“Mr Manyi, you may be black, or perhaps you aren’t, because you do not accept that label and would prefer to be ‘only a Xhosa’, whatever the label you choose, I want to put it to you that your behaviour is of the worst-order racist.
“I refer to you in this way because those of us who found our way into the struggle through the Black Consciousness Movement have always understood the origin of the Black Management Forum, as we have understood and supported the ANC documents that speak of ‘blacks in general, and Africans, in particular’. Regrettably, in your understanding the term ‘Black’ has quite a different meaning.
“As a consequence of your behaviour, people like me - in the ANC and in government, are being asked to explain what was in the minds of the drafters of the amendments to the Employment Equity Act.”
Manuel said Manyi, who later issued a statement through Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) deputy head Vusi Mona, “lacked the moral conviction to publicly apologise”.
“The fact that Mona had to issue a statement is beyond comprehension since you distinctly did not utter those racist sentiments as an official of the GCIS,” Manuel wrote. “Secondly, that you lack the moral conviction to publicly apologise says so much about your acute lack of judgment.
“Thirdly, that the statement apologises only for the fact that ‘some people may have taken offence’ says to me that you clearly fail to appreciate the extent to which your utterances are both unconstitutional and morally reprehensible. These ‘things’, in your view, ‘the coloureds who are over-concentrated in the Western Cape’, are the sons and daughters of those who waged the first anti-colonial battles against the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British when they set foot on our shores.
“These ‘things’, which so irritate you, include many who made huge sacrifices in the struggle … at a time when people with views like Jimmy Manyi were conspicuous by their absence from the misery of exile, the battles at the barricades and apartheid’s jails.
“By the way, what did YOU do in the war, Jimmy?”
Manuel said he would ensure that Parliament acted “in the letter and spirit of our constitution” when it adopted amendments to the act. “I have never waged any battle from the premise of an epithet that apartheid sought to attach to me but I will do battle against the harm you seek to inflict … not as a coloured, but as a non-racist determined to ensure that our great movement and our constitution are not diluted through the actions of racists like you.
“I now know who Nelson Mandela was talking about when he said in the dock that he had fought against white domination and that he had fought against black domination. Jimmy, he was talking about fighting against people like you.”
Asked for comment last night, Manyi said he was in a meeting and could not respond. - Cape Times
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Anonymous, wrote
Manyi I always dreamt of a country where all races would work together equally because we have undoubtedly the best country in the world but with racist people like you definitely not possible!You think like a typical racist.I have been ANC for life but if the ANC supports the comments you have made I think the ANC has lost a lot of votes!
Marie, wrote
So it show,s agaian and again-(WHAT struggle?are all you people still scream even under the ANC_The only struggle you should worry about- is-this-DO you KNOW how to run a COUNTRY_ with people who suffers and plenty OFF whites!!! all who gets killed for what-this is an unmost dugusting and improper(RACIST) country BY the wat WHOS< is this-NOBODY<S ONly GOG created it-and it could be taken away from you tomorrow- WHY-WORSE then Apartheid Has ever been-JUst because you are now somthing does not mean-you are soecial-you are noyhing man- nothing-Get youself in Order
Johnny, wrote
Zille and Manuel = A South Africa to be proud of. Register this weekend and vote DA!
Johnny, wrote
Zille and Manuel = A South Africa to be proud of. Register this weekend and vote DA!
Anti ANC, wrote
Thank You Trevor, your words are inspirational, however, i cannot ignore the possibility of your speech being used as a vehicle to attract colored voters to vote for the ANC, if you were to follow this response up with a move to the DA, then i will follow your lead in our quest for a true new South Africa, but as long as you are a member of the ANC, this letter is where my admiration of you ends.
Mbuyi, wrote
Trevor, it is too little and too late for this. This comments where made in March last year. Why raise them know? What is your motive? These comments where blown out of proportion and advise that people should listen to Jimmy again. Where is racism in his comments. It is a fact that coloured people are in the majority in Cape Town and Jimmy is encourging them to look at work across the country. He is in the same office with Jimmy and I fail to understand why is Trevor writing a public letter to someone who is in his office. I smell the a rat. Trevor is an opportunist and a hypocrat. I say this as a member of the ANC. His actions clearly demostrate a person who is on his way out of the cabinent.
Anonymous, wrote
every where we go, Coloureds are not being taken seriously, it feels like... we are being tossed around for election points only, at our work places, we still face minority respect, at our communities, some councils ignore our needs, and when we speak up, they class us under, the un-educated and we are educated.
Cyrus, wrote
I want to thank you Trevor, setting the record straight with facts. I truly like the way you present the person we are... people! I am a Christian, and everything you have mentioned, has reminded me of the teachings Jesus shared with the disciples. And one more to this, we as people of this country, should love each other no matter what the race, we all need to share a common goal, to be united.
john, wrote
I said if you scroll down at the first posts it would only be time before indians felt the punch, now it comes to light what he also said about them, dont forget uganda and idi amin, looks like this is the first stage, the 2nd stage will be them using whites, colourds and Indians to blame for the ANC mis management of SA, then the 3rd stage will be civil war. Seems like its no longer only the whites the ANC are after but anyone who is not black - PEOPLE wake up, there is a revolution around the corner here, we cannot and i say cannot move foreward with this sort of mindset in the ANC 1 of 2 things will happen, 1- the country will go broke and anarchy 2 - civil war and whites coloureds and indians will be targeted- there is only one solution - vote for the same party at the next elections. If not say goodbye to the Rand, Malema will be on top and hell will brake loose, we will have a country collapse and civil war! Wake up Wake up now!
Anonymous, wrote
Appeal to ALL Kullids, register and I don't have to tell you who NOT TO VOTE FOR!!
Anonymous, wrote
Jimmy seeing that you are so good with percentages why don't you tell us what percentage of the different race groups in sa are involved in crimes such as murder rape armed robbery and housebreaking.I dare you Jimmy.
Anonymous, wrote
One can't help but think that this is a vendeta against the coloureds who refuse to give reign to the ANC in the Western Cape, be careful how you tread we are here to stay
Veronica, wrote
TREVOR MANUEL FOR PRESIDENT DEPUTY PRESIDENT!!!!!!!!!!!!! Trevor you have what it takes to be a GREAT LEADER. You have BALLS. You stood up to the RACISTS within the ANC as well by fighting for your people. That takes guts and courage, and humility. You will do better if you leave the ANC racists sinking ship and move over to the DA. You and ZILLE will become a FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH...!!! And please make sure Zoomer is procecuted for his 783 charges!!!!!!!! Criminal President. Bad Leader. Loose morals. Not a good example to the children of South Africa.
Pete Public, wrote
Dear Trevor, Please join the DA. You and Helen will be a great team and will win national elections convincingly so that our country will have a bright future. Sincerely, Pete Public.
Oakene, wrote
I respect EE, but aren't coloureds falling under "africans"? Should families migrate out of their birth place to find employment just because a law was passed to limit their employment. I am coloured and love black people, it is not even worth mentioning but such remarks made even enrages me. Shouldn't employment be about skills and competencies, obviously taking race into account? Or should black people get the job based on the skin and nothing else? This "apology" of yours is not sincere. I wish the coloured community vote for any other party except yours. Mxm!
Joey vannie Kaap, wrote
Trevor, my brother, we fought in the struggle together ... daa innie Kaap. Djy kom vannie Kensington en ek is vannie Flatse myself. You were one of the founders of the MDM and the anti-apartheid struggle in the Western Cape. Djy is 'n struggle hero vir ons mense. You spoke at Cde Johnny Issel's memorial and your words touched me because I realised that there are still people with morals and integrity in the ANC. However, you are in a minority. I wish you strength and courage to keep on challenging the corruption and decay in the ANC. Don't lose courage. En as daai Jimmy cricket nog baaie praat, dan maak djy hom wys wat klop.
Bron, wrote
Go Trevor, I believe you have always had the ordinary South Africans best interests in mind and at the heart of the matter is whether or not people like this man are supposed to be looking out for us and making decisions that influence our daily lives. Thank you sir for speaking your mind. I sill think you should try another party on for size! The DA would love to have you.
Anonymous, wrote
thank you Trevor,for your riposte to the drivel that racist Manyi and his ilk(Kuli Roberts comes to mind) are regurgitating in the name of employment equity. Aweh Ma se Kind, aweh
Gugu, wrote
Thanks for freedom struggle people to bring freedom to our country and introduced something called rights, particularly "right to freedom of expression". I am sure you meant well, but guess what: surplus rublerousers are the results. Citizens of this coontry have stopped to think and reason and instead, they speak from on top of their head: to tell the truth 90% of comentators on this article are non other than rublerousers and sound racists themselves.Like it or not, in one way or the other we are all "racist" if racism means what everyone depict in their comments. A critical question is: when shall South Africans stop being racist? Only when the 21st century and millenium generation has departed, that' my thought. Or we are going to stark in this for the next 100 years as it took oppressors the same amount of years to instill this "racism" to citizens.
Anonymous, wrote
Solidarity must be rolling around laughing at the furore they have caused. They are not interested in the 'coloureds' as they would have reported this 'old' racist statement in March last year when it appeared on KykNet. They are now using this racist proppoganda to stir up trouble in the Western Cape although their opposition to the new Bill is correct. I'm now shocked to see the 'Son' posters laring 'another attack on coloureds'. Where is this all going to end? Are we now going to see the ususually peaceful people of the Wesern Cape at each other throats until after the elections as everyone is now jumping on the bandwagon and not a word from Solidarity who started it all. Why not have a rational discussion about the Bill and force the government to re-look it or scrap it altogether.
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