AfriForum Youth asks public to adopt ten-point plan against Malema
In light of the extremely racist and inflammatory comments made on the Facebook fan page of Julius Malema, AfriForum Youth today called on the public to get involved in AfriForum Youth's Stop Malema campaign and to act in a responsible manner in order to contribute towards calling Malema to account for his actions. To this end, a ten-point plan, comprising ten steps that need to be taken by the public, has been announced.
This comes after AfriForum and AfriForum Youth received hundreds of e-mails about one of Malema's supporters, Thato Mbateti Mbateti, who referred to whites as "pigs" and "whores", among other things, and said that he and his "fellow black people" would rape the whites "till the last breath is out". He also said that white children would be burned and that white men would be tortured and that video clips of the torture would be published on the internet.
The campaign and the ten-point plan have been designed to be interactive and therefore the public will be encouraged to get involved and make a contribution.
The ten-point plan consists of the following steps:
- Sign the Stop Malema petition at www.stopmalema.co.za. The petition will be used in the court proceedings against Malema to show the public's dismay at Malema's actions;
- SMS the word "Stop" to 38655 to donate R10 to help cover the legal costs that will be incurred in AfriForum Youth's court case against Julius Malema;
- Join AfriForum Youth's "Stop Malema" Facebook group, where further announcements will be made about the campaign;
- Denounce all racist comments aimed at polarising society and inciting violence;
- Maintain the moral high ground and do not stoop to an undemocratic level of debate;
- Always act within the framework of the law;
- Be vigilant and live according to basic safety rules;
- Do not allow agitators such as Julius Malema and his supporter to break you down psychologically or lead you to act irresponsibly;
- Pray for the future of our people and our country; and
- Send this message to all the contacts on your contact list.
AfriForum Youth's national chairperson, Ernst Roets, said that the public are extremely upset about the actions of Malema and his supporters and that the campaign was designed to give them the opportunity to get involved and to contribute to calling Malema to account for his actions. "All forms of racism and incitement to violence must be rejected and removed immediately," Roets said.
Roets also said that Malema's defence that his "Shoot the Boere" song is not meant to be taken literally has become irrelevant because his supporters do in fact take it literally. "Malema will only be called to account if continued pressure is put on him and on the government, and for that we need the public to also do their bit," Roets said. Roets added that AfriForum Youth would not cease its campaign until Malema has been called to account for his actions.
Statement issued by Ernst Roets, AfriForum Youth national chairperson, March 23 2010
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