Jansen, the Reitz Four and Bozos United

I don't know Jonathan Jansen, the rector and vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State. But I have read some newspaper pieces on him; heard him interviewed on the radio - if Jennifer Crwys-Williams of 702 had fawned any harder, she would doubtless have plotzed; and read some of his columns - they used to appear (maybe still do) in the daily Times.

Jansen always seemed to be too much of a goody-goody for my taste. I like a bit of lemon and salt with my saccharine. Or - shifting metaphors in mid-stream - Jansen seemed to me to be too filled with the milk of human kindness.

We pause here for a moment because, unlike Julius "little Julie" Malema of the youth brigades, we readers of Politicsweb are able to hold more than one thought in our minds at a time, are we not? And we recall that the person who complained about "the milk of human kindness" was that (fictional) person Lady Macbeth - who makes the (non-fictional) Winnie Madikizela-Mandela seem like a girl scout.

"Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be/ What thou art promis'd. Yet do I fear thy nature, / It is too full o' th' milk of human kindness/ To catch the nearest way," Lady Macbeth (not Winnie) said to her husband - "nearest" meaning the "most expedient" or "easy". In other words, "you're too much of a kind, good oke to do the easy thing".

We think of Madame Macbeth and Madame Madikizela-Mandela by way of remembering that, notwithstanding my cynicism and jadedness, maybe it is not such a bad thing to be filled with the milk of human kindness.

Second, there was (is) always with Jansen a hint, oh more than a hint, of the religion related to the carpenter's son who perished on the cross. But, pace Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Niemoller and Politicsweb readers, I have to say that religion, all religion, puts my teeth on edge. There have been too many pogroms, too many soul-cripplings, nearly all in the name of one religion or another.

Righteous religiosity is especially annoying - and here we pause for a second time - when it is underpinned by slipshod scholarship. In his now famous inaugural lecture as the 13th rector and vice-chancellor of the University of the Free State, on 16 October (see here), Jansen said: "Soon after my appointment, I received an e-mail from my friend Chris Abels. It contained a verse of Christian scripture, from the book of Esther 4:14."

"Christian scripture", Jonathan? It was written, or compiled, long before the Nazarene was born and is one of the books of the Ketuvim ("Writings") of the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible). Get yourself a Wikipedia, dude.  

We pause a second time because that kind of incorrect attribution - "Christian scripture" - bespeaks a sort of unpleasant hegemony. It suggests that "we Christians own it all anyway" - which is the kind of thing so-called Christians have been claiming (and proving) since the Crusades. (Check out Iraq.) This incorrect attribution also suggests a kind of insensitivity, albeit small. Jansen simply doesn't know - or has not thought through properly - or doesn't care - that the lines from the book of Esther are far from being "Christian scripture."

Look again at what he said: "I know I am not alone. Soon after my appointment, I received an e-mail from my friend Chris Abels. It contained a verse of Christian scripture, from the book of Esther 4:14. I ignored it, at first, but since then those words have become very meaningful to me. ‘Is it possible that you have come into the kingdom for such a time as this?'"

Isn't it a bit grandiloquent - isn't it, to ask the question another way, being a bit of a windgat - to think of oneself as Esther? Incidentally, if Jansen had said that he wanted to see the world, and especially Seffrica, through the eyes not of Queen Esther but of Caster Semenya - then we would be cookin'. But that is the subject for a play yet to be written by some young Bertolt Brecht from Bloemfontein.

But having said all that - and remember that we are Politicsweb readers, not one-dimensional bozos from this political party or that or this vershtunkende teachers' union or that - having said all that, let me say that I cried a little when read Jansen's inaugural speech. Journalists and diabetics, as well as cowboys and judges, also cry.

Why? Because Jansen pressed all my buttons. I'm a sucker for people who love their families, who haven't forgotten Bram Fischer, who remember their parents, who do things with passion - and who, above all, want to do the right thing and are not frightened of doing the right thing. Re-read Jansen's speech. It's a moving speech.

But I am also old enough and ugly enough to know when I am being manipulated and that my buttons have been well and skillfully pushed. So when the fuss broke out about Jansen having withdrawn the university's four charges against the Reitz Four, I really wasn't sure that he had done a just or fair thing; and whether I ought to join in his defence.

Am I, as Walt Whitman asked, contradicting myself? Sure I am, "I am large, I contain multitudes". Moreover, as a Politicsweb writer and reader, I can have conflicting and swirling emotions that I can think about and analyse without having to drive down to Bloemfontein to shoot anyone.

I'm making a fetish of my uncertainty about Jansen and the Jansen issue because it has occurred to me recently - thinking about Jansen and reading the verbal fall-out that followed his speech  - that one of the hallmarks of local public debate in recent years is that these days everyone is so damn certain about everything.

Maybe it's part of the Polokwane Syndrome (PS). After all, if you're Zwelinzima Vavi or Blade Nzimande or Fikile Mbalula or Little Julie, and you were indeed correct about who would grasp the battered crown in December 2007, then you think you're right about everything. Not much scepticism or thoughtful debate - about anything - floating around south of the Limpopo these days, is there?

But veteran political writer Patrick Laurence remains thoughtful and he set me right.

In his column in The Star on Tuesday, 27 October, Laurence pointed out that a re-reading of Jansen's speech showed, first, that Jansen was making the point that the behaviour of the Reitz four had not been a manifestation of "individual pathology" but a sign of institutional failure - in other words, the Reitz four were largely products of their environment; and, second, that Jansen had not tried to distance himself from UFS but had said mea culpa, even though "he could easily have exculpated himself from blame and distanced himself self-righteously from the past episodes of racism at the university".

Frans Cronje of the Institute of Race Relations had also picked up on this, pointing out that "[i]n an extraordinary example of leadership, Professor Jansen then took it upon himself to apologise to every person that had ever been a victim of discrimination by his university. He also apologised to South Africa for the role that the university had played during apartheid.

"In the early 1990s," Cronje continued, "apologies for apartheid were a dime a dozen. Every one time apartheid supporter and his dog were apologising for apartheid with what often appeared to be limited sincerity. But this was different, as here was a black man assuming the responsibility for what the white guard had done before him, and apologising to the country for that. There was no malice in his apology and no suggestion that his responsibility in leading the university was in any way mitigated by what had come before him."

Fair enough. But still ... but still what?

This: there is too much of an air of showmanship about Jansen's announcement that the university would not proceed with disciplinary action against the four little putzes who had humiliated five black cleaning staffers. Apologise by all means. But you cannot harness - you cannot colonise - the experiences of five other human beings for the purposes of your grand gesture as the new rector. It's as insensitive as taking away someone's scriptures and giving them to someone else.

Yes, I know the five cleaning staffers - Naomi Phororo, Emmah Koko, Nkgapeng Adams, Sebusengwe Ntlatseng and Mothibedi Molete - have doubtless been taken under the gentle and kind wing of their union representative. So, even if they were interested in or inclined towards forgiveness, it's doubtless too late for them. But Jansen should have found a way of getting to them - of communicating to them what he was trying to do. A trifle insensitive to have left them out - like pawns in a bigger game, as Bob Dylan sang in a 1964 song about Medgar Evers.

And talking of forgiveness and reconciliation - if that were really Jansen's driving motive, then he could have achieved this quietly and on a personal level. If he had really wanted to do so, he could have met the nine people involved - with their various representatives present - and sorted something out.

Finally, I don't know about you. But I would still like to know precisely what the Reitz four did and what the states of mind were of all the people involved. One can't, alas, entirely trust the good ol' media. In yet other words, Jansen should have let this matter go to court before he used it for his inaugural address.

It was a courageous and admirable move on Jansen's part. But I'm sure that someone famous - Machiavelli, Bob Dylan, Vo Nguyen Giap, maybe Paul Trewhela - must have stated somewhere that, even if one is filled with the milk of human kindness, one has to pick one's battles very carefully, or face the massed and voluble criticism of Bozos United, which is exactly what is happening to poor Jansen.

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I don't know about you. But I would still like to know precisely what the Reitz four did and what the states of mind were of all the people involved. One can't, alas, entirely trust the good ol' media. In yet other words, Jansen should have let this matter go to court before he used it for his inaugural address."

Jeremy Gordin

 

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responses to this article

Beautiful piece But how about some editing? We haven't go all day. by Anthony on October 29 2009, 08:28 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Solipsism Jeremy writes: "Isn't it a bit grandiloquent - isn't it, to ask the question another way, being a bit of a windgat - to think of oneself as Esther?" Yes, that would be exactly how the devout spook believers always operate - maximum humility . .more combined with solipsism. . .less by Darwin on October 29 2009, 08:47 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Good analysis Good analysis, Jansen is just out of order and he needs to be punished for his foolishness. And as for the those four white criminals, they must just be eliminated from the society and thier parents must be sued. by JB on October 29 2009, 08:53 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Even unintended injustice cries out for hatred! By usurping the victims' right of forgiveness, without any remorse or contrition on the part of the culprits, Prof Jansen committed a shocking violation of their rights and stirred up racial hatred that we could well have done without. Sadly, I . .more believe, he delivered his magnanimous forgiveness with the best of intentions. But even unblemised paragons of the "Rainbow Nation" don't deserve Desmond Tutu's blessings when they compromise the universal human rights principle of justice! . .less by Siegfried Hannig on October 29 2009, 09:11 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Jansen He is such a lucky man. He is now potrayed as a victim of the circumstances. He is malicipus, period!!!!!!!! He allows himself to be used to pepertuate opprossion of black people still, Unbelievabl!!!!!!!!!! by N S on October 29 2009, 09:12 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Storm in a teacup No matter how much sense is spoken on this matter, it won't help. The whole thing has already been turned into a circus that has been taken over by political opportunists who don't really given a damn about these cleaners. One question that has been asked . .more a couple of times but has still not been answered is ...who forced these cleaners to get involved in this? Why did they allow themselves to get involved in these "ghastly" deeds?? If it was all so terrible, it makes no sense to me why they would allow it. Not just one, but all of them!! As adults, surely they would have more sense than a couple of young students? . .less by Airwolf on October 29 2009, 09:14 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

The Milk Sure the good Professor pushed all the right buttons. I was naieve enough to be greatly impressed before i read this article.I still am even if he has too much milk in his veins. Even if he calls the book of esther christian scripture. I hope the Prof . .more continues to look forward rather than back and is still able to take on the fashists in the ANC . .less by spark on October 29 2009, 09:20 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Picking the right battles? Perhaps the writer should have applied that advise to himself. by Derick on October 29 2009, 09:22 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Tangenital thought Wouldn't it be nice if the Parktown Boys headmaster said publicly that the institution had failed its boys and consequently wouldn't the state rather take the school to court instead of the boys. No excess in the milk of human kindness from him. Pity. by Nicholas on October 29 2009, 09:27 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Please, no subbing for Jeremy! Jeremy, while I strongly resent verbosity and pretentious bulls**it, I don't find your ramblings disruptive -- probably because they tend to match my own sentiments and afford me considerable entertainment. Keep it up! by Siegfried Hannig on October 29 2009, 09:32 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

More milk of human kindness Jeremy's implied attack on Christianity is as misguided as the ANCYL's on Jansen. Anyone who practiced violence against anyone else (except in self defence) is, by definition and Christ's own words, not a Christian. So, although they regret the rejection . .more of Christ by Jews, real Christians did not organise pogroms and nothing in their creed justifies Jewish persecution. The Old Testament is actually only half of God's revelation to man.The book of Esther, therefore, is part of the Christian tradition. . .less by Augustine on October 29 2009, 09:50 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@ N S What on earth does ' pepertuate opprosition of black people' mean? Even 'perpetuate opposition of black people' does not make sense, at least to me. Please elucidate. by Nic on October 29 2009, 10:21 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

The folklore of past drug addicted pop stars! Has anyone viewed the video tapes of those poor hard doneby cleaning staff in slow motion. If you have please answer the following for me:- 1 Were not forced into participating in the student prank? 2 Why did they laugh whilst puking in the . .more bucket? 3 Did they receive any monetary incentive to partake in the prank? 4 How many years service did the staff members have working for Kofsies? 5 As cleaning staff of Kofsies, were they not used to the pranks which students got up to and consequently would have been forewarned of the mischiefs of such pranks if they were not physically forced to participate in the mischief? Lets see what comes out in their court case!!!!!! . .less by Zorba on October 29 2009, 10:24 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Base bigotry The various arguments of the essay never deviate far from the golden thread of prejudice against the religious and against Jansen s brand of Christianity in particular. When Gordin claims that Jansen was a trifle insensitive in dealing with the . .more injured cleaners, like pawns in a bigger game, he fails to realise that this is precisely what he is doing. These people were not aware of their injury until the likes of Gordin and other political manipulators pointed the victimhood out to them. The very concept of victimhood exists in a realm way beyond these cleaners, and relates to sensitivities and attitudes, and political opportunism, that is generally at the core of the problems at this university. The victimhood is general and is the legacy issue Jansen is trying to address. Jansen is in fact trying to put thing in its propper perspective. Jansen worked tirelessly to canvas all sides and spent massive amounts of time walking the campus and talking to ordinary folk. He came to the conclusion that, in order to deal with the higher level racial problems on campus, he would have to extricate himself from the legal proceedings in order to accept responsibility for the racial mess on campus and deal it. . .less by Jack on October 29 2009, 10:27 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

../2.. The Reitz4 video is a mere microcosm of the bigger problem. Being a brave leader, Jansen is dealing with the BIGGER PICTURE. Like a real leader, he is allowing the details to be sorted out through due process. Unlike Gordin, he does not have . .more the luxury of waiting for the trial to shine some light on the details of this one event, before he can start plotting the path to a healthy campus. He may have made a few mistakes along the way, and it is clear he did, but we should salute this brave leader and recognise his true objectives. . .less by Jack on October 29 2009, 10:28 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Practical Jokes The moral of the storey is dont play practical jokes on blacks albeit this one was in bad taste.The joke of peeing in a beer can and leaving it around a rugby braai is an old one not that there is any proof that the 4 morons actually did this to the . .more cleaners . .less by Mike on October 29 2009, 10:36 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

get real Two days ago a friend was murdered and his wife raped in this wonderful country of ours. No headline, no protest march and very little precious media attention stolen. You the media have created little julius so sit back and enjoy the show. The time has . .more come to get real and get that head just a little deeper into the sand. You gotta love it baby!! . .less by john on October 29 2009, 10:38 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@Good Analysis Eliminated from society... I agree that they should be prosecuted for what they did, but "eliminated from society". I heard a story yesterday about a 24 year old mom who attacked her 3 year old son and 5 year old daughter with an axe - when they did . .more not die quick enough, she slit their throats - her boyfriend also raped the little girl. We spend so much time getting worked up about the merits of Prof Jansens withdrawing complaints against these 4 thugs (who are still facing criminal charges by the way) - and we just accept as normality the brutality and depravity of crimes that are far more seriousness than this... I . .less by G2 on October 29 2009, 11:05 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Jansen is an uncle Tom Jansen is an uncle Tom. He went out of his way to please certain people. He is a good N****. He listen and acts. He worships the master. He loves the master's kids. As for those poor people, they were grossly violated and humiliated. What a shame! old . .more racist South Africa. Furthermore, I think Tutu has lost his brains and is too old. he should just shut up. This country is very racist and cruel. Jansen is not the only coconut - look at these big black fools in big companies and BEE tycoons. . .less by Shamza on October 29 2009, 11:23 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

my little story. having read the reports and listened in wonder at the grandiloqeunce of ANC stalwarts on this issue I tried a little experiment. I peed into four bottles and then told my staff (black to the core) that as part of their initiation into my employ they . .more were required to drink the contents. To a man they told me to phuque off. Can I please get some of the apparent power and authority owned by four students and used with such good effect upon numerous apparently utterly acquiescent aboriginals? See, my allegation is that the truth has not yet come out. And anyway, it is true that none other than Ghandi (late of our shores) used to drink his own urine. It is even recommended by many (to my mind rather weird) cults and diet specialists. . .less by Plutarch on October 29 2009, 11:24 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

The Jansen matter I regard myself as a committed Christian and I agree whole heartedly with Jeremy that religion puts one's teeth on edge. Jesus confronted religion in ernest. Examining the conduct of humans is the most fruitless exploration of divinity. by royboy on October 29 2009, 11:31 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Forgiveness and Apologia Leave us not forget that Madiba set the tone for the Jansen response. He apologised to the Mthatha family of the survivors of a brutal attack by the killers of apartheid in 1993. he had nothing to do with it - it was done under the unrepentant . .more watch of de Klerk. Yes, 5 children were slaughtered in a house in Northwood because the killers were intent on wiping out the APLA command which were purportedly sleeping in that house. The bodies of the children were riddled with bullets and the perpetrators vanished into thin air via what was the SA Embassy in that city. Forgiveness does not breed justice. To forgive the racists or any other powerhouse reactionary view is only to encourage it. Jansen obviously wants to be a martyr like his "Christian" forebears. Sadly, it is at the expense of the 5 victims of the currently disadvantaged. . .less by Costa Gazi on October 29 2009, 11:57 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Nonsense argument Jeremy you have written the most bizzare argument. Have you ever heard of a victim say sorry to the man who have sinned. No no. The Retz four were suppose to apologise and Jansen consult before that political correct approach being implemented. Jansen is . .more a sucker . .less by mabutho in Nelspruit on October 29 2009, 13:23 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Making mountains out of molehills. While the act itself is undoubtably revolting, I'm still not seeing why it's a criminla matter. When the story first broke, it was stated that the cleaners had participated in the so-called initiation of thier own free will. They were not coerced, so why . .more is everyone crying foul? This was a non event until someone saw the video and decided to take a stand against a percieved injustice. It's laughable that you can critisise Jansen for offering forgiveness on the victims behalf while ignoring the fact it took a third party to turn a harmless if tasteless prank into a matter of shame. The cleaners weren't shamed by the perpetrators of the prank. They were shamed by the person or people who decided to broadcast thier acts to the world. . .less by Monkey on October 29 2009, 14:03 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

I AGREE; WHAT DID REALLY HAPPEN I doubt if a student could ever force the Squeeza's to be involved in something like this. The boys are also from the "platteland" which invariably implies that there is a much different view towards other races than in the case of the slick city boys. I . .more remember that during my own university days in Johannesburg (Yeah RAU not the other place), we were compelled to always treat everyone decently. But coming from a racist (sis man) white (even more sis man) family from the mining industry, we treated everybody with respect and we could even speak their language (Fanakalo, very very big sis man). Our domestic workers cried just as much as our parents when we were called up for border duty during university vacations. Racial hatred is a weapon the ANC use to keep us occupied and not see how they are stealing the whole country from underneath ALL of us. . .less by AFRICAN WARRIOR on October 29 2009, 14:17 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

The reality is ... That there will be no reconciliation without JUSTICE. Time to put a few NATS on trial for CRIMES against HUMANITY. by De La Rey on October 29 2009, 14:20 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Flabbergasted! Like Jeremy Gordin I have not seen the DVD and wonder what all the fuss is about. Four kids (younger even than little Julie) made a naughty video with the apparent full co-operation of some cleaning staff who, by all accounts, appeared seemed to . .more be enjoying themselves immensely whilst making the video. The video, it seems, SIMULATED acts of degradation, surely all in bad taste, but nevertheless only simulated. And it seems no one was actually degraded until some prissy twit with a racial axe to grind decided otherwise, and whipped up a racist storm over the matter. (Do movie actors sue the studios after they were "forced" to act the part of characters who were degraded in the story told in the movie?) It all seems to me to be an overblown racist storm in a teacup with opportunistic chauvinistic posturing and blustering by those who thrive on perpetuating the myth of the prevalence of apartheid-style racial prejudice amongst SA whites. . .less by mpho on October 29 2009, 14:25 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

If only..... The tomfool, fat buttocked ANC poltroons would spend half of one percent of the time they have spent on Reitz on attending to providing schooling for 4 yearold girls then they might be worthy of some respect. The sexual degradation perpetrated by teachers . .more is appaling--- do we hear these bigmouths talk about it? like hell we do their behaviour, apparently sanctioned by His Oxcellency merely proves that there agenda has NOTHING to do with education and everything to do with self-aggrandisement. They are playing with fire surely, because our own brand of indigenes has at least seen the schooling, medical facitlies and food programws of an admittedly rather dodgy regime run by the NATS but from what I am hearing there is a groundswell of some momentum building in reaction to thuggery perpetrated by little willy malema . .less by Plutarch (again) on October 29 2009, 15:25 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

John, about your murdered friend Will you please contact The Black Sash Ladies and ask them to stand vigil and witness and to shame the perpetrators, just like they used to do it in apartheid days? They are expert at this sort of thing. And while you are about it, ask one of them to . .more write an expose of the crime, as was done to witness Steve Biko's death - they are really talented at this sort of thing as well. And also, perhaps you can get some people to lobby overseas against the killings? That would also be helpful. Peter Hain perhaps? Or you can stop wasting your breath. No-one reading here care very much about your friends. Wrong kind, wrong politics, wrong perpetrators. Now if the attackers were Boers, then man, you would not have heard the end of it from the English Left. Madam Gordimer might then even turn out a short story as an allegory. . .less by JVR on October 29 2009, 15:33 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Jansen this issue has succesfully drawn attention away from Chuene! by js on October 29 2009, 15:48 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

You are farting, Mr mpho..... Mr mpho You are farting against a tornado. The perpetrators have been tried and found guilty as heretics by the Inquisition. The calls for elimination as penalty by Good Analysis is to be expected. by JVR on October 29 2009, 15:50 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Jansen, the Reitz four... This was clearly a student prank. The so called "victems" also saw it as such, and in fact had a good laugh while partaking. Now of course, they claim that they were humiliated. Anything for compensation. Another hand out please. by djakes on October 29 2009, 16:02 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Mind what goes into your mind Putting aside the Jansen debacle, the actions of the students mirror the absurdities of reality TV and moves like "Jackass". Garbage in, garbage out. Methinks it has less to do with institutionalised racism that with being utter fools. by AB on October 29 2009, 16:34 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@JVR Nah, the fat lady hasn't sung yet; let's wait and see what happens in the courts. The Jansen thing is a side show; the worst the university can do is boot the students out, which it has now resolved not to do. If Ndzimande succeeds in getting . .more Jansen's decision reversed that merely restores the status quo ante, but I doubt it will come to that. It will be good to see whether or not Jansen has the balls to stand up to the ANC bullies; my guess is he has. . .less by mpho on October 29 2009, 16:41 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Gordin Jeremy Gordin, you just write total C***, get real dude!! by Hoof Hearted on October 29 2009, 17:56 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

At JB - Shame.. JB wrote: "And as for the those four white criminals, they must just be eliminated from the society and thier parents must be sued." Uhm.. okay.. 1.) Have they been found guilty by a court of law on ANY charges? 2.) Does a conviction on a . .more charge of crimen iniura / assault carry the death penalty? (Seeing as you are alluding that they should be eliminated?) You have branded them (1) Criminals and (2) Death Row inmates. Without any due process. Like Jacob Zuma a while ago... I suspect you are black and thus prejudiced because they are white. Same as when your president stood in court on MUCH more serious charges, and you and your kinfolk branded the press as racist. Isn't the press racist know? Because the victims of this "trial in public" (remember Zuma?) is now white, and not black? Think about it. Or - go ask your president for your machine gun and then go and shoot these four "innocent untill proven guilty" "youngstas". After all racism is much more hideous than murder. You would be an African Hero!! . .less by James on October 29 2009, 18:08 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Grand Circus Alleluia! Blessed be the ancestors. A new mighty whip has been found (fabricated) to flog the living lights out of the whities. Do you remember the "massacre" supposedly committed by the racist police at the time of negotiations at the end of . .more Apartheid? Do you remember how it was used to get the whities to their knees in abject fits of guilt, even if they didn't do it? Do you remember how de Klerk ended up giving in on fundamentals which he knew he should never do? These Grand Shows of Hurt, Revulsion, Aggro and Spitting Madness are no more than calculated tools to reach an end. A political and economical power end. If you take note, in the end they are no more than a silly and totally conniving posturing circus. Most probably, being done to end once and for all, University education in a minority language (Afrikaans). . .less by Injala Apera on October 29 2009, 18:19 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@JVR As an English speaking liberal, I just love to see your hatred of us. It gives us great glee to see you eating your heart out in this way. Give it up fella, we of British stock have never cared what other nations think of us. We don't hate you, we just . .more view you with contempt. Much deserved contempt in the case of the Boere. 1902: Boere lose to Brits. 1994: Boere lose to Blacks. Three strikes and you're out JVR . .less by Jeff on October 29 2009, 19:25 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@ Hoof Hearted Dear Hoof Hearted, your mother swims to troop ships by Jeremy gordin on October 29 2009, 20:10 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Yes Jeff, you won (1) Thanks Jeff, I appreciate the history lesson. And I concede. The Anglos are superior. I even concede that Boers will disappear as a people. That much is plain. Oh, some will withdraw and continue a marginal existence in a Laager somewhere, . .more but it is game over. All left to do is the history books. And yes, it will record that the Anglo Right first, during the 1800s, and then the Anglo Left, during the last decades of the 20th century, defeated the Boers, and established the conditions for extinction. So the long dark night is ahead. The last act of the colonial era is not finished yet, but it will take another 50 to 100 years. I am sure that white Anglos in SA will also disappear, perhaps even faster than Afrikaners. The White Left, except a few who continue their blink ideological journey, has mostly left after they succeeded in delivering Boers into the hands of their enemies. So it is game over there as well. The ANC's dedicated criminals are just continuing their mopping up operations in an area that could have been a Great State, but is now destined for destitute. . .less by JVR on October 29 2009, 21:23 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Yes Jeff, you won (2) Jeff, and so it is that the Anglo Left would not allow Afrikaners to fight for a place under God's sun. Their demand was simple: Complete surrender and submission to the ANC, who must govern. For this many risked life and limp: Helen Suzman, Trevor . .more Huddleson, Donald Woods, Alan Paton, and so down the line the great many brave people, right down to Carl Niehaus But the post-colonial period is not over. I hear that Sharia will be coming to England soon, and I grow more confident that the fate you worked out for us, will also be the fate of you and your kin, who will soon start to convert as they have already lost much of what used to define them as English Now that I have seen much of the world, I can assure you that the viciousness that the SAcan White Left had towards Boers, do not exist in Oz, NZ or even Canada. Oz, I hear, give you points on an immigration application if you can speak Afrikaans, it is something of a heritage language down under. So many will shake this red dust from our feet. It was an interesting time, but far too many, by far too many of us have been killed, maimed and raped by Africa, and far too much have been stolen, for there to be unconditional love left Laugh your heart out and when you have a spare moment; some photos are circulating on the web of white victims, go view, and enjoy the pain . .less by JVR on October 29 2009, 21:34 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@J gordin silly little prat. You choose to mock women by suggesting some the mothers of your critics swim to troop ships? That comment of yours says more about you than 100,000 words penned by your yourself in your most anally retentive little . .more tent. No wonder your own late mother accused you of being a wimp in the stop-smoking fiasco. She had good reason. You are a wimp. Gordin you little rat---- you might enjoy your Karin Bliksem frocks but you are actually a rather unimpressive little turd when it comes to decency. . .less by cassandra on October 29 2009, 23:49 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@Jeff What they call to such arrogance and despitefulness? Perfidious Albion, isn't it? No wonder if you ask people of any particular nationality around the globe which nationals he or she does not trust and if not dislike, most probably they would . .more say "English". Historically, at one time or other your people have been at war with practically everyone else. The main reason for it seems to be that at that particular time someone else possessed some thing that your people really wanted. Namely, land (Xhosas and Zulus), or diamonds and gold (Boer Republics) in SA particular case. Just ask your neighbours, the Welsh, Scots, French, German, Danish, Spanish, Russian... for not to mention the great admires of yours, the Irish. . .less by Injala Apera on October 29 2009, 23:53 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@Cassandra your father swims to troop ships by J gordin on October 30 2009, 06:53 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

MORE milk of human kindness AUGUSTINE is right. it is strange that people like jeremy so often raise the point that religion is "tarnished". they are right of course. religion is a curse as witnessed by the pogroms and crusades etc. jesus came to destroy religiousity and its . .more consequences. you will recognise a true christian by his love for others, lack of violence and humility - not by their conquests and hate speech. this doesnt mean that they are weak . on the contrary, they will be the only ones to get to see god as he really is [they will hate you because they hate me -john 15;18 of the "christian bible"] this is what really riles a non believer. the tragedy is that all non believers can know him but wont bow to Him because they are their own god. . .less by esther on October 30 2009, 09:55 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@j gordin, cassandra et, al hee, hee. 1-0 to Jeremy by keeping score on October 30 2009, 10:06 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Support intelligent, good people - do your bit Sugar is good, we are tired of the bile currently being dished up by the simple woodworker's cronies. I sent Prof Jansen a support mail, I recd a reply the same evening in thanks. Do it yourself as well. mail addy = rector.RD@ufs.ac.za by Dave on October 30 2009, 11:38 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

And I mean it, please do it Save our future and our children from the mindless mob/thug mentality sweeping the country right now. All good people with good values and some form of working brain need to start to support good. Good is good, and it's contagious. But so is thuggery, so . .more do your bit NOW - before we tip over the edge. . .less by Dave on October 30 2009, 11:45 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@JVR Dude, you still here?, how's it going with that Afrikaaner province thing?, and the Black Sash, I hope you've hunted down the last of those inbred basterds. My bru, listen, I need to procure a tank. No, no, nothing hectic, I just have this twit . .more neighbour I need to sort out. Now, I know you have a few stashed away in case the ANC says No to you indpendence deal, but I just need one. Can I make an offer? . .less by KhulGaz on October 30 2009, 14:46 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@KhulGaz ASK YOUR ANC BROTHERS , I AM SURE THEY CAN HELP YOU , BUT FIRST THEY MUST BUY THE WHITE MANS CARS . CALLED A BMW . BLACK MANS WHEELS . by pETER on November 03 2009, 21:25 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

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