Johannesburg - Michael Pashut had been visiting Cape Town when he noticed an offensive neo-Nazi number plate – “Führer-WP”.
So he rolled down his car’s window and proceeded to express his displeasure in no uncertain terms at the owner of the offensive number plates.
Neels Stander, founder of financial service provider Legacy Wealth, was not impressed.
And as Pashut, a Joburg businessman, continued to utter his disapproval of the number plates, Stander retaliated with his own set of choice words.
In the end, Pashut was the one charged, with intimidation. He has made several appearances in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court in Cape Town.
“Führer” is a German word meaning “leader” or “guide”, which is most often associated with Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
The word führer in the sense of “guide” remains common in German, but because of its strong association with Nazi Germany, it comes with some stigma and negative connotations when used as the meaning of leader.
In other languages, the word is used almost exclusively as the epithet for Adolf Hitler.
And it is this connotation that had infuriated Pashut.
The incident happened in November 2010 but has still not been concluded.
The next thing Pachut knew, a charge had been laid against him and he was ordered to appear in court.
“It happened such a long time ago. It is very embarrassing for me. Any right-minded citizen would be offended by a number plate which states ‘Führer’. Then (Mr Stander) lays a charge against me. I couldn’t believe it. It is a lot like the pot calling the kettle black.”
City traffic officials eventually banned Stander’s number plate as there had been other complaints as well as concern from the SA Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD). Stander surrendered his number plates without complaint.
But in court it was alleged that Pashut had made dozens of serious threats against Stander and his workers.
“At first I didn’t know it was Mr Pashut. He was making threatening phone calls to me. He called my office and threatened my office ladies, saying he was going to slit their throats and rape them. They were all terrified.”
Stander said he went to the police, but they had done nothing. Eventually he traced Pashut and realised it was the same man he had had words with over his number plate.
“He went overboard. He didn’t just threaten me, he threatened my family and my staff.”
Stander said the SAJBD had written to him, asking him to change his number plate because it was offensive. His written response to them was that he was “a student of military science, not political science”.
“The number plate on one of my vehicles will be cancelled and changed by the end of the month, solely and purely out of respect for my work colleagues and friends of the Jewish faith. Proof of the cancellation will be provided to your office.
“I apologise sincerely to you and to anyone of the Jewish faith if I have given offence. That was never the intention.”
Stander also has trusts which have neo-Nazi connotations. He told the SAJBD that the trusts’ names would remain unchanged as they were “holding trusts” wherein properties are registered.
“They do not trade actively,” he wrote. “Apart from the fact that these names have little or no meaning to South Africans today, they are in any event personal and private documents that are not open for general scrutiny or the public eye. The trusts’ names have a completely military significance for me.”
Stander wouldn’t reveal the names of his trusts.
The case continues.
Saturday Star