Ramaphosa’s statements about racism: The President has a constitutional duty to promote nation building

8 June 2020

The President of South Africa has a constitutional duty to promote nation building and, therefore, it is unacceptable that the statements made by President Cyril Ramaphosa with the launch of the ANC's campaign against racism could have the opposite effect and create even more tension.

When a President highlights only certain exceptional cases, like the death of George Floyd in America, but makes no mention of other atrocities, like farm murders in his own country, he is not promoting nation building.

Another local example is the death of Collins Khosa who died in April after he was brutally attacked by members of the defence force and metro-police.

Everyone knows that President Ramaphosa first denied that white farmers in South Africa are being murdered, most notably in response to a tweet by President Donald Trump of America. President Ramaphosa only later admitted that these murders are indeed taking place when the FF Plus put pressure on him in Parliament during question time in November 2018.

One will find extremists in every society and among all population groups and it is political leaders', and in particular the President's, responsibility to guard against stereotyping all the people in a specific population group as having certain thoughts and feelings based on singular incidents.

In a country like South Africa, with its diverse population composition, the President would do well to condemn all forms of racism, both against black and white. The lives of all people matter. And it is the President's constitutional and moral duty to recognise and promote that.

Issued by Pieter Groenewald, FF Plus leader, 8 June 2020