AfriForum said in response to Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan budget speech that the government has missed an opportunity by retaining toll fees for Gauteng highways, even though there are more cost-effective methods of recovery to finance these roads.

Kallie Kriel, CEO of AfriForum, said even though the measures for reducing the toll fees may bring some relief for overburdened taxpayers, it is senseless to retain an expensive recovery method like toll fees which coincides with unnecessary overhead expenses. “The specific allocation of fuel levies to finance the improvement of the country’s infrastructure would have protected road users from having to keep on paying for the unnecessary administrative expenses that occur when toll tariffs are imposed.”

“The decision to exempt taxis from toll fees, while motorists have to pay, reduces ordinary motorists to the milk cows of the new tolling system,” added Kriel.

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AfriForum today launched its campaign against the one-sided retelling of history, by publishing an open letter, in the form of a video addressed to the State President, on the organisation’s website, and by encouraging members of the public to show their solidarity with it. Various well-known opinion makers have already pledged their support to the campaign and appear in the video.

Appearing in the video are the artists Steve Hofmeyr, Gerhard Steyn, Jakkie Louw, Adam Tas and Gerrie Pretorius. Spokespersons of several civil organisations, members of the public, and former members of the South African Defence Force (SADF) also appear in it.

The video, entitled We were there, focuses on the political misrepresentation Zuma told during the ANC’s centenary celebrations when he praised Cuba for its contribution towards the so-called “victory” gained against “apartheid” at the “battle of Cuito Cuanavale”. In the video, former members of the SADF explain why such statements are untrue, and the video appeals to all South Africans to engage with history in a circumspect manner, and to not abuse it as a weapon to achieve political ends.

The video also paves the way for the first ever social media walk to be organised in South Africa during which a delegation, comprising the persons who appear in the video, will walk to the embassies of Cuba, Russia, Angola, Namibia and the USA to hand over a memorandum in support of the balanced retelling of history. From there, the delegation will depart for the Union Buildings where the petition will also be handed over. At the same time, English copies of Kraal Publishers’ recently published book, We were there, will be handed to the embassies and the Office of the State President. This book is compiled by the former head of the SADF, Gen. Jannie Geldenhuys, and is written by several former SADF members. In it, the true history about the war and the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale is told by those who were there.

The public can show their support for the open video letter by registering their participation in the social media walk on www.afriforum.co.za/onswasdaar. The campaign already enjoys the support of the entire Solidarity Movement, which includes Solidarity, AfriForum, AfriForum Youth, Solidarity Helping Hand and Maroela Media.

Ernst Roets, AfriForum’s Deputy Chief Executive, explained that a small group of representatives will physically undertake the walk, while the public at large could participate by following its progress on Facebook and by re-tweeting it on Twitter. It is estimated that around 300 000 members of the public will participate in the walk via the social media.

Roets added that the campaign is focused on the balanced retelling of history in all its facets, but that the video and the walk will specifically focus on the recent political lie about the Border War in view of the fact that many members of the public have lodged their complaints about this at AfriForum’s office during the past month.

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The motives behind the decision of higher education minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, to still proceed with an investigation into the recent incident in which Thabang (Godwin) Makhoang drowned on the Potchefstroom campus of the University of North-West, are seriously questioned, AfriForum Youth today said.

AfriForum Youth demands that a body, appointed by the university board, investigate the tragic incident, and not a committee appointed by the Department of Higher Education.

“Furthermore, AfriForum Youth is meeting with the rector, Prof Herman van Schalkwyk to ensure that activities that are sound in nature, such as a fruit festival, are not tarnished by the prejudice of the Department of Higher Education,” Marcus Pawson, chairman of AfriForum Youth’s NWU Branch said.

Although the incident took place during an organised fruit festival, Nzimande insists that an investigation to look into orientation programmes at this university is warranted because such practices often are inhuman and smack of initiation practices.

“The Department is using the tragic incident to score political points to do away with any form of tradition or cultural activity,” Pawson said.

“The Department’s attack on the North-West University is, however, short-sighted and disrupts the sense of unity that has been prevailing among students of this university for many years already. The government keeps harping on the disadvantages of activities undertaken within residence context, while students are tired of the politicisation of issues such as this one.”

“Instead of looking for the race demon behind every bush for the sake of ideological viewpoints, the Department should rather use its energies and resources to promote mother language tuition at tertiary institutions, and to better equip students with knowledge and skills,” Pawson said.

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[Foto: www.linecasters.co.za]

AfriForum Youth today joined the Khoisan community at the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development to submit clear demands regarding this community’s claims to history and the community’s privileges.

“The Khoisan is staking a claim to land which belongs to the State, and in so doing, it is proving that the ANC’s argument with regard to land reform, which is based on the principle that the land reform policy should only attempt to transfer land from a white minority to the black minority, is outdated. Any community, irrespective of colour, can lay claim to land in South Africa. History, in its totality, is the only real criterion by which the issue of land ownership can be measured,” Charl Oberholzer, AfriForum Youth’s national chairman said.

At present, government is the single largest owner of land in the country. If government argues that the influence of history should apply, then government’s own land should be transferred to the Khoisan community.”

“The Khoisan community approached AfriForum Youth to join forces in the struggle for minority rights in South Africa. History is too complex for it to be simplified by means of generalisation. Black peoples, who migrated from West Africa to the country, constituted the first group who had colonised the Khoisan’s land, but such history, and the battles of the Mfcane are being ignored,” Oberholzer remarked.

“If the ANC wishes to draft a land reform policy based on history, then they must be truthful in engaging all of history, and not only with what has happened after 1913. The time has come for the ANC to realise that they are not the sole inhabitants of this country, and that minority groups are here to stay,” Oberholzer stated.

The Khoisan handed their demands to Phumzile Simelela, Chief Director in the Office of the Director General.  Among others, the following demands are made:

· That, in terms of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Khoisan community be recognised as the first and original inhabitants of South Africa;

· That recognition be given to the Khoisan community in the process of determining land ownership, and that no further marginalisation of the community take place;

· That their claim to land owned by government, be fulfilled;

· That the Khoisan people not be displaced and removed from their land any more.

AfriForum Youth’s support to the Khoisan community forms part of AfriForum’s comprehensive campaign against the distortion of South Africa’s history.

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Today AfriForum Youth’s lawyers sent a letter to the Department of Basic Education, demanding that the Department make all outstanding matric certificates available within two weeks. Some learners have been waiting to get their matric certificates for years.

“The letter of demand informs the Department that they are directly depriving their learners of their constitutional right to fair administration. Their failure to issue matric certificates is illegal,” said Charl Oberholzer, national chairperson of AfriForum Youth.

The past week AfriForum Youth invited learners who have not received their matric certificates, to provide their particulars on www.afriforumjeug.co.za.  AfriForum Youth is now acting on behalf of Amy Beukes, a third-year student at the University of Pretoria, and many other learners from the Western Cape, the Eastern Cape, the Free State, Mpumalanga and Gauteng, among others.

“The Department of Basic Education has been charged with taking steps to ensure that these learners’certificates are issued within two weeks’ time”, said Oberholzer.

“Learners suffer severe losses. Some students are alone overseas and cannot work or study unless they have received a matric certificate. Parents have been informing us that they have utterly failed to make any impression on the Department at all. They have been trying repeatedly to get the certificates out of the Department, but to no avail. Employees of the Department have even told them that it is simply not possible for them to issue their children’s certificates.”

Several parents have been told that the Department of Basic Education failed to pay Umalusi, the quality assurance body. That is why they fail to get anywhere with the Department time and again.

One of the learners, George McDonald, has been waiting for his matric certificate since 2009 because the department allegedly lost one of his exam papers. Another learner, Amorecé Müller, has been waiting for a valid matric certificate since 2008 on account of spelling errors to her first name and surname.

“The Department of Basic Education’s service rendering to the community has reached a point where it is wholly ineffective, and is being further paralysed by its own inability to deal with complaints,” said Oberholzer.

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2012 02 18 – Oues kry net R1 van pensioen – Die Burger

2012 02 18 – Kleingeld – Beeld

2012 02 18 – Varsity rejections – SA is biggest loser – Pretoria News

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The fate of the Student Representative Council (SRC) of the University of Pretoria (UP) will be determined this coming Friday, 17 February, in the Pretoria High Court.  The court will also adjudicate on the matter of the outstanding electoral results following last year’s student parliament, as well as on UP’s decision to announce a re-election.

AfriForum Youth and ten electoral candidates, who stood for the faculty constituency, instituted legal proceedings against UP late last year, following the university’s announcement of a re-election.

“During the past five months, the university had changed its tune all the time and tried to appease all. The unwitting result was, however, that the UP relied on perceptions, rather than on what is right,” Charl Oberholzer, AfriForum Youth’s National Chairman said.

AfriForum Youth and the faculty candidates claim that UP is withholding the election results because of political pressure from the ANC affiliated organisation, Sasco.  In addition, it is claimed that all complaints relating to the freedom and fairness of the election had been dealt with in full and had been fully addressed, and that the process that lead to the decision of a re-election was not in accordance with the constitution for student governance.

“AfriForum Youth’s sole purpose is to ensure that a legitimate student council is constituted as soon as possible so that students can finally be represented and the election promises made to them can be fulfilled.”

“During the past month, an interim student representative council was appointed by the rector, but it cannot consider motions, pass resolutions on behalf of the students, launch campaigns, or act in fulfilment of the students’ mandate,” Oberholzer said.

Date:             17 February 2012

Time:             10:00

Venue:           Pretoria High Court, Vermeulen Street

RSVP:            Charl Oberholzer

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