Cape Town - Education MEC Debbie Schäfer has refused to order the cancellation of controversial Afrikaans singer Steve Hofmeyr’s planned concert at Overberg Primary School, saying the “Western Cape government supports the right to freedom of speech”.
This followed a desperate plea by a former school acquaintance of Hofmeyr, Desmond Bailes, who wrote a letter to Schäfer this week imploring the DA to intervene in stopping the concert on April 20. In his letter, Bailes said Hofmeyr should perform his concert elsewhere.
“How are the black pupils to feel when this repugnant Afrikaner with racist views starts singing the old anthem and the apartheid flags start waving?
“There are many more suitable venues in Caledon where Hofmeyr could perform his disgusting brand of Afrikaner racism.
“This has nothing to do with free speech, but only respect and equality for all members of the community.
“Would (Overberg) Primary have allowed Eugene Terreblanche or Adolf Hitler to perform in their school hall?”
Schäfer yesterday said: “The school has hired out the hall to the Greyton NGK Dutch Reformed Church for this event. The Western Cape government supports the right to freedom of speech and I will thus not instruct the
cancellation of the concert.
“We have, however, asked the SGB whether they have taken into consideration all the opinions of the school community in making this decision. The final decision is theirs to make.”
Overberg Primary School principal Marius Koekemoer declined to comment.
Last month, the George Municipality backtracked on leasing its City Hall to Hofmeyr following an outcry from some community members and on social media, but the concert went ahead.
Last year, a concert in New Zealand featuring Hofmeyr as one of the headline acts was cancelled due to expat protests.
Hofmeyr tweeted yesterday: “I will only refrain from singing in hired state locations if, and only if, the local taxpayers’ association says so. I will only not sing in churches if the congregation says so. Priests, headmasters, mayors & politicians serve them and only them. Who da boss now.”
In reference to black African children being exposed to him, Hofmeyr said: “EVERYONE is welcome but NOONE is (stet) forced to listen to me. I recite out of the desperation of a certain cultural group, and to silence that is unconstitutional as well as genocide”
ANC provincial secretary Faiez Jacobs said Schäfer’s decision was shameful and she should promote social cohesion programmes in smaller towns.