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Media verklaring - 6 September 2020
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Voorstel oor 'temaparke" - stuur eerder die minister vir heropleiding
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Voorstel om standbeelde na “temaparke” te verskuif
- Minister Nathi Mthethwa behoort die eerste kandidaat te wees vir die heropleiding van ministers
Die ongeregtighede van die verlede en van apartheid is ‘n werklikheid. Dit kan deur niemand ontken of verdoesel word nie. Die verlede mag egter niemand van sy of haar grondwetlike regte ontneem nie. Indien daar nie respek vir die geskiedenis is nie, sal ʼn ander generasie in die toekoms ook nie respek of agting het vir die hede nie.
Die voorstel van Minister Van Sport, Kuns en Kultuur, Nathi Mthethwa, dat openbare standbeelde uit die era van apartheid en kolonialisme na “temaparke” verskuif word is net nog ʼn demonstrasie van sy onvermoë om die diversiteit en geskiedenis van die land te verstaan en toon sy onkunde oor die Suid-Afrikaanse grondwet.
Vroeg in Augustus 2020 het die minister in die Presidensie, Jackson Mthembu aangekondig dat senior staatsamptenare en ministers heropgelei gaan word om beter te regeer en planne doeltreffend in werking te stel. Die opleidingsprogramme word deur die Universiteit van die Witwatersrand, Unisa en University College Londen aangebied. Aangesien Minister Mthethwa so gereeld sy obsessie oor ras in sy sport portefeulje, en die verlede in sy kultuur portefeulje, demonstreer sou dit hom uiters geskik maak om een van die eerste ministers te wees wat vir heropleiding gestuur moet word. Veral sal dit hom baat om dan sy kopie van die grondwet saam te neem.
Kulturele takt en die Grondwet vereis van die regering om die kulture en geskiedenis van al ons mense, verenig in ons verskeidenheid, te respekteer. Daarom kan “temaparke” en die voortdurende verskuiwing van standbeelde nie ʼn opsie wees nie. Rig eerder nuwe standbeelde op en dra op ʼn skeppende en kreatiewe wyse by tot die herwaardering en respek vir almal se geskiedenis.
Die meeste Afrikaners wil net soos baie gematigde Suid-Afrikaners die kern van nasiebou ondersteun en wil dit bevorder binne die grondwetlike bestel in die soeke na oplossings. Ons grondwet is die uitkoms van ʼn onderhandelde skikking, waaraan Afrikaners ook deelgeneem het. Die finale produk is ʼn grondwet wat regte vervat wat hoop moet bied vir die toekoms. Dit help egter niemand as sommige ANC politici en dan veral ministers die grondwet voortdurend interpreteer met die oog op ʼn truspieël in die verlede nie. Indien die verlede gebruik word as maatstaf om enige persoon se regte te wil ontneem of verdag te maak hou dit enorme implikasies in vir versoening en nasiebou en veral vir die diversiteit van Suid-Afrika.
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Proposal to remove statues to “theme parks”
- Minister Nathi Mthethwa the perfect first candidate for the retraining of ministers
The injustices of the past and of apartheid are a reality that no one can deny. The past must not, however, deprive anyone of his or her constitutional rights. If there is no respect for history, another future generation will not have respect or appreciation for the present.
The proposal by the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, that public statues from the era of apartheid and colonialism be moved to “theme parks” is just another demonstration of his inability to understand and respect the diversity and history of the country and yet another display of his ignorance of the South African constitution.
Early in August 2020, Minister in the Presidency, Jackson Mthembu, announced that senior civil servants and ministers would be retrained. The training programs by the University of the Witwatersrand, Unisa and University College London would enable ministers to govern better and to implement plans effectively. As Minister Mthethwa so frequently demonstrates his obsession with race in his sports portfolio, and the past in his culture portfolio, it would make him the perfect candidate to be sent for retraining. It will benefit him to take along his copy of the constitution.
Cultural tact and the Constitution require of government to respect the cultures and history of all our people, united in our diversity. Therefore, “theme parks” and the constant removal of statues cannot be an option. It will serve this government well to rather, erect new statues and thereby contribute in a creative way to the appreciation of and respect for everyone's history.
Most Afrikaners, just like many moderate South Africans, want to support and promote the core of nation building within the constitutional dispensation in the search for solutions. Our Constitution is the outcome of a negotiated settlement, in which Afrikaners also participated. The final product is a Constitution which contain rights which should offer us hope for the future. It is of no use, however, if some ANC politicians interpret the Constitution with a perpetual rear-view mirror on the past. If the past is used as a criterion for wanting to deprive any person of his or her rights or to make that person appear suspect, this holds enormous implications, not only for reconciliation and nation building, but also in particular for the diversity of South Africa.
