AfriForum perpetuates the capture of African heritage by colonialists and state-capturers – Mamphela Ramphele
Anti-apartheid activist and Tutu IP Trust chairperson Mamphela Ramphele said the ANC failed to rein in organisations like AfriForum.
She shared this view during an interview with Newzroom Africa about a lecture by Wouter Basson about Projek Coast.
This sold-out lecture, which took place at the AfriForum Teater at the Greenlyn Village-sentrum in Menlo Park, drew criticism from left-leaning commentators.
One of these commentators was Ramphele, a leader within the South African Students’ Organisation (SASO) and the Black Consciousness Movement alongside Steve Biko.
She told Newzroom Africa that she does not want to be labelled as an anti-apartheid struggle activist.
“We did not fight against apartheid. We fought for liberation, and liberation is holistic,” Ramphele said.
She added that organisations like AfriForum represent the post-apartheid government’s failure to hold the beneficiaries of colonialism and apartheid accountable.
“We should look at the people who created the environment for AfriForum to have the space to do what they did with regard to Wouter Basson,” she said.
She also said it was not acceptable for AfriForum to present itself as victims of post-1994 South Africa.
“AfriForum is a representation of the failure of post-1994 South Africa to hold accountable people who benefited from colonial apartheid and state capture,” she said.
“Post-1994, we should have belled the cat. Instead, we have emboldened the AfriForums of this day.”
“Instead, the ANC struck a private, secret deal with the apartheid government. We should not be surprised at this arrogance.”
She said that the ANC failed to continue the work the Truth and Reconciliation Commission started and the recommendations it made.
“AfriForum is an organisation asserting their right to have, in a sense, captured the African identity,” Ramphele said.
“They call themselves African at the time when they were calling us non-Europeans, non-whites. This is not a little game that’s being played.”
“This is the perpetuation of the capture of African heritage by people who came here as state capturers, as colonialists.”
Loading ...
There is no written history of indigenous races. If they have such an issue with a small part of the population. Let them go back to their ancestral ways. No more phones. No more cars, no homes, no roads, no labeled clothes. All these came through a small part of the population who the anc is still vilifying after 32 years of supposedly running the country. We are so tired of this issue. We gave our lives to build a better South Africs and this is the thanks for inheriting a well functioning country which they have destroyed in 32 years. Well I am done. Enough is enough. Its time to take this govt and its thieving ways to the court and put them behind bars.