'KILL THE BOER, KILL THE FARMER"

The IFP is most concerned about the deterioration of the rule of law and all the constitutional order which is bound to flow from the contempt which both the ruling party and the President of the country have shown in respect of the ruling of the equality court on the unconstitutionality of the 'kill the farmer, kill the boer' song.

This is not a trivial matter, as it has engulfed the entire country in debate for several months. This is no academic matter as white farmers are being slaughtered at a rate which, in other countries, would justify a state of emergency.

Under these circumstances, common sense dictates that there are going to be pockets of deviant people who will read in the ANC's and the President's endorsement for the 'kill the farmer, kill the boer' song, a direct political mandate to kill more white farmers, while the government is yet to mount any meaningful police and safety and security campaign to protect white farmers, to deter their slaughtering and bring to justice the assassins.

Under these conditions, the President and the ANC seem to have failed the acid test of respect of legality and constitutionality which may jeopardize all that which has been thus far achieved in the building of our fledgling democracy. This is no minor matter which the President may continue to portray as open to debate. When murder and the call to kill become matters open to debate, a society has lost any shred of morality in its government and any shred of legitimacy, for government's first obligation is that of ensuring the safety of all its citizens and to prevent and deter all that which may jeopardize it.

Statement issued by Koos van der Merwe, MP, and Mario Oriani-Ambrosini, MP, Inkatha Freedom Party spokesmen on justice, March 31 2010

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