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Ramaphosa 'deeply hurt' by tribalistic insults hurled during July 2021 unrest

Amanda Khoza Presidency reporter
The Camps Drift Park Mall in Pietermaritzburg was among the businesses burnt during the July 2021 unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. File photo.
The Camps Drift Park Mall in Pietermaritzburg was among the businesses burnt during the July 2021 unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. File photo.
Image: Sibonelo Zungu/Reuters

President Cyril Ramaphosa says "tribalistic words" against him go beyond being personally hurtful.

Testifying at the SA Human Rights Commission hearings into the July 2021 unrest, he commented on the phrases: "iVenda alime kancane thina bantu bangempela sisalungisa izindaba zethu [The Venda must wait a bit, we, the real people are still fixing our issues]" and "Thina angeke sibuswe nge Venda [We won't be ruled by a Venda]".

Pietermaritzburg and Midlands Chamber of Business CEO Melanie Veness has testified about graffiti sprayed across a truck in Pietermaritzburg depicting the words: "Ramaphosa must go back to Venda".

This "hit a particular nerve", he said.

"These words gave me cause for great concern. That tribalism, something the founders of the organisation that I lead, the ANC, sought to obliterate from the SA political and social landscape, was rearing its ugly head."

Ramaphosa referred to his statement that the violence in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng was fuelled by "ethnic mobilisation".

"Of course, it has been proven that this sentiment was and is not shared by the majority of the South African people.

"This I have acknowledged repeatedly and will do so here again. What I do not agree with, however, is the allegation made in complaints received by this commission that what I said could have led to the escalation of the violence and looting.

"I refer to one of the matters the commission has raised with me — the statement I made on the role of ethnic mobilisation in fuelling the unrest. More specifically, what I said in an address to the nation on Sunday July 11 2021.

"In reference to what were then sporadic but increasingly violent protests, I said: 'It is a matter of concern to all South Africans that some of these acts of violence are based on ethnic mobilisation. This must be condemned by all South Africans at all costs as we are a nation committed to non-racialism and non-tribalism that is underpinned by the diversity and unity of all the people of SA, whatever their language, culture, religious beliefs and race.'

"I understand why this statement was controversial and appreciate that it may have caused ill-feeling to many.

"This statement was based on reports that I had received of social media posts and messages that appeared to be using ethnic and tribal chauvinism to encourage unrest. To the extent that this was happening, I condemned it."

A day later he said: “At the beginning of this unrest, there may have been some people who sought to agitate for violence and disorder along ethnic lines. We know that the majority of our people have out of principle refused to be mobilised along these lines. However, what we are witnessing now are opportunistic acts of criminality with groups of people instigating chaos as a cover for looting and theft.”

The next day he had a meeting with interfaith leaders, where he said: “In some areas there were also suggestions of ethnic mobilisation, though it seems to be accepted that this was limited.”

Later that week, Ramaphosa said he had visited areas affected by the unrest "where I made it clear that the evidence that was emerging did not support the position taken earlier".

"I was clear and I will be categorical again here today. The majority of our people have, out of principle, refused to be mobilised along these lines," he told the hearing.

"Like many South Africans, I am a viewer, a listener and a reader. Like millions of South Africans, I followed the many conversations, watched the video clips and listened to the audio recordings being disseminated.

"The conversations and hashtags in circulation at the time saying things like #CyrilMustResign or #CyrilMustGo are all expressions of the right to free speech enshrined in our constitution.

"But I, like millions of South Africans, have bitter memories of our past, where tribalism and ethnic chauvinism was used to promote hatred and to divide. It is a time I never want to see recur."

That's why "being showed conversations saying things such as ‘iVenda alime kancane thina bantu bangempela sisalungisa izindaba zethu,’ and ‘Thina angeke sibuswe nge Venda’ went beyond being personally hurtful.

"A proper reading of my statements over those days, the chronology of when they were made and an examination of the events that took place show this cannot be plausible.

"It was the people of SA who peacefully and within the law worked to restore calm and protect lives, property and infrastructure. The assault on our democracy failed because the people of SA would not allow it."

TimesLIVE

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