The following statement was delivered by Black First Land First (BLF) President, Andile Mngxitama, on 11 December 2018 at a press conference clarifying why the BLF calls for 5 white lives for every 1 black life as well as outlining steps to be taken to exercise the fundamental right to self defence and political party participation. The conference took place at the BLF Head Office in Johannesburg.
The press conference is called to primary clarify the massive confusion around the statement Black First Land First (BLF) President, Andile Mngxitama, made at a BLF rally in Ikageng Stadium, Tlokwe, North West last Saturday. There are several other matters we shall also deal with.
Firstly, we would like to thank Ikageng for welcoming the President of BLF with warm hands. The people responded massively to the rally. The white owned media largely ignored the event.
One of the highlights of the rally was that BLF supports the call for a bonus (13th cheque) pay out for pensioners. Also, BLF called for the unemployed youth to be given three interventions by the government: they must get training in multiple fields, jobs, or alternatively a R5000 monthly basic income grant.
1. International perspective:
1.1 We wish President Robert Mugabe a speedy recovery. We call on Emmerson Mnagangwa to let those who were exiled during the coup to return home. BLF will be sending a letter to the Zimbabwean embassy. We call for peace amongst the Patriots in that country to ensure recovery and reconstruction of the economy.
1.2 BLF stand with the Landless People’s movement of Brazil against the fascist, ring-wing rule of Bolsenaro.
1.3 BLF sends its solidarity with the yellow vest protesters in France. Cyril Ramaphosa must be given the same treatment for lying to cover up corruption and for making life impossible for the poor.
2. Pravin Gordhan and assassinations:
BLF calls on Pravin Gordhan to stop being conspiracies to murder. The assassination of Arora was made possible by the toxic baseless accusation against Pravin Gordhan’s opponents. BLF is concerned that agents of white monopoly capital are now using assassinations to silence their opponents. At the centre of this toxic environment is Pravin Gordhan who is the mastermind of defending white monopoly capital. BLF is concerned that anti-white monopoly capital leaders like Brian Molefe, Dudu Myeni, Hlaudi Motsoeneng will also be targeted by these assassins for white monopoly capital. BLF calls on Pravin Gordhan to publicly denounce the assassination of his opponents. BLF is getting legal advice on what action is available to us to pursue justice and stop the assassinations.
3. There will be no Land Expropriation without Compensation:
BLF condemns with the strongest possible terms the betrayal of the landless by the African National Congress (ANC) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). The two parties have connived to waste ten months instead of amending the constitution to ensure land expropriation without compensation. The “public participation” process by the Constitutional Review Committee was a deliberate time-wasting strategy because it’s not a requirement for amending the Constitution.
The conniving between the two parties is a deliberate ploy to avoid amending the constitution whilst pretending to be committed to land expropriation without compensation. Our people must know that there will be no amendment of the constitution before the 2019 elections and after. The ANC and EFF will only expropriate the votes of the landless without compensation. BLF has warned that the two parties are not serious about land expropriation. They just use it to get votes. The ANC and EFF have the required 2/3rds majority to amend the constitution but have not, instead they went on a deliberate time wasting process.
BLF calls on the people to demand land expropriation without compensation before elections or they must not vote for these two parties. BLF is finalizing a process of taking land from land thieves by direct action. We are organising our people so that if there is no land expropriation without compensation before the elections, we occupy farms.
4. Johann Rupert’s call for black-on-black violence:
All the reactionary, pro-white political parties have denounced BLF. Many are lodging a Moriah of complaints against us at the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC). The media has also allowed for blatant distortions by right-wing elements who deliberately decontextualized Mngxitama’s statements. Law experts have gone underground and disappeared.
Let’s start by saying BLF is a peaceful movement which is peaceful with those who are peaceful with us. Secondly, BLF will be in parliament in 2019 – land thieves and brainwashed blacks who find us problematic must get used to it. Thirdly, the noise about the statement made by the president of BLF is a reaction from people who are committed to killing black people. They insist on their right to murder us. They can’t believe there are black people who are ready to defend themselves.
There is no law on earth that says one can’t defend themselves. The extreme Right wing and racist organizations have deliberately distorted the context of the comments. They have erased Johann Rupert, the instigator of black-on-black violence, from the context.
Let’s remind you all what Johann Rupert actually said. Rupert said: “Jabu [Eskom chairperson Jabu Mabuza] and I have one thing in common: He’s chairman of the [South African Black] Taxi Association and one of the first [partners] in Business Partners was the taxi association. I also have my own army. When those red guys come, they’re gonna have to remember the taxi association.”
What does he mean when he says he has his own army? What does it mean when he says the taxi associations are his business partners and therefore his private militia? Only a fool wouldn’t know that Johann Rupert is saying anyone who affects his interests will be subjected to taxi owners violence. He is telling us that he will unleash black-on-black violence similar to that which whites facilitated in the 1980’s. He is saying unenkabi – hit men he can set on us.
We must ask. Is the violence in the taxi industry not sponsored by Johann Rupert?
Johann Rupert is an opponent of BLF. He has ten court interdicts against us. What is next? Sending inkabi after us?
In the 1980’s, the ANC made a mistake by fighting the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) instead of the real instigators of violence. If for every 1 person killed by the apartheid state-sponsored violence, the ANC had sent uMkhonto weSizwe to the white suburbs, the violence would have ended much earlier. Whites like to kill but don’t like to die. We are just saying to Johann Rupert, do not stand in front of a fast moving train. It’s going to kill you! It’s a warning! Don’t kill us or if you do we going to kill you! Who is the aggressor here?
5. Let’s educate white people and the likes of Democratic Alliance (DA) and AfriForum:
Freedom of expression and freedom of political participation are FUNDAMENTAL rights! On 4 December 2018, the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) delivered its judgment in the appeal against the finding made by the Equality Court (and prior to that, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC)) against COSATU and its International Relations Secretary, Bongani Masuku (“Masuku”).
Background
March 2009 Masuku made the following statements on a blog:
“Hi guys,
Bongani says hi to you all as we struggle to liberate Palestine from the racists, fascists and Zionists who belong to the era of their Friend Hitler! We must not apologise, every Zionist must be made to drink the bitter medicine they are feeding our brothers and sisters in Palestine. We must target them, expose them and do all that is needed to subject them to perpetual suffering until they withdraw from the land of others and stop their savage attacks on human dignity. Every Palestinian who suffers is a direct attack on all of us.”
During a speech on 5 March 2009 at Wits University, Mr Masuku also stated as follows:
“… COSATU has got members here on this campus, we can make sure that for that side it will be hell …; … the following things are going to apply: any South African family, I want to repeat it so that it is clear for everyone, any South African family who sends its son or daughter to be part of the Israeli Defence Force must not blame us when something happens to them with immediate effect …; and … COSATU is with you, we will do everything to make sure that whether it is at Wits, whether it is at Orange Grove, anyone who does not support equality and dignity, who does not support the rights of other people must face the consequenceis even if we will do something that may necessarily be regarded as harm ….”
The Equality Court had found Masuku guilty of hate speech in respect to comments made in February and March 2009 regarding Israel’s attacks on Gaza in December 2008, and against the support for Zionism and the State of Israel more broadly. The complaint was initially made to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) by the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) alleging that Masuku’s comments constituted hate speech. The SAHRC referred the complaint to the Equality Court.
COSATU and Masuku appealed the Equality Court’s judgment that ruled against them. In its unanimous judgment, the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) upheld the appeal and substituted the Equality Court’s order with an order dismissing the SAJBD’s complaint.
BLF says, the Equality Court must stop being so easily bullied by racists. The SAHRC is a habitual abuser of the rights of black people. It is the bulldog of racists and the Jewish Board of Deputies in particular.
From now on, each case the SAHRC loses, the anti-black CEO must personally pay costs. Advocate Tshidiso Thipanyane is wasting tax payers money defending racists and attacking black people. What has the Human Rights commission done for black people?
The racist DA has also opened cases against BLF. The same DA did absolutely nothing when their Helen Zille praised colonialism. The same DA which holds interviews with blacks in toilets. The DA has no moral ground to lecture us about racism or hate speech.
BLF has opened cases against Helen Zille:
1. SAPS
2. Equality Court
3. SAHRC
4. Complaint lodged with public protector that Helen Zille used state resources to defend her racism case in Equality Court.
AfriForum has no right to exist. This is a group of land thieves already found guilty by our courts for racism and sexism. They are a group that denies that apartheid was a crime against humanity. Demanding that Johann Rupert must have his right to organize violence against us.
6. Testimony by BLF Gauteng Chairperson, Skhumbuzo Mazibuko:
“My uncle was killed during the Inkatha vs ANC violence (black-on-black) in KZN Hammersdale, then when I moved to Thokoza (G.P) I was unfortunate that we stayed just in front of Khwesine Hostel and the township was full of ANC comrades, we saw the same violence. One morning we woke up to screams and cries from our neighbours, the whole family including kids had been murdered. Only an idiot can dispute that this was all conjured up by whites. Is it acceptable? Why is it not acceptable for Andile Mngxitama to say that we should not fight each other as blacks rather as a results of this third hand (whites) using Blacks, let’s kill 5 white people for every 1 black person killed? Can we think hard on this? I mean we have to defend ourselves!… I never met my grandfather who died in 1990 but I was told by my father that he was killed in GP Buyafuthi Hostel Katlehong by angry ANC loyalist… During the black on black attacks… So Andile ayihlome ihlasele… Izwe Lethu! IAfrika! One bullet, one settler!” – Malusi Dlakude
Actions to be taken by BLF in future:
1. Open cases against Johann Rupert for inciting violence and for racism.
2. Strengthen self defence, BLF has approached the Zimbabwean war veterans in their individual capacity to train BLF members.
3. Talks are ongoing with the MKMVA, we shall also approach APLA and AZANLA veterans and see if they are interested to help us.
4. BLF is registered with the IEC. BLF will be on parliament in 2019 to defend radical economic Transformation.