Racist? Get over it!
Two Afrikaans farmers, one in his 70's and the other in his 30's, proved this week that racism is not welcome in Middelburg!
“Boere” Jan de Beer (72) and Danie Venter, shattered the stereotype perpetuated against Afrikaners this week by enrolling their adopted sons, both black, into respective schools in town.
Apart from the unconditional love showered on Gift Motsweni by Mr Jan de Beer (72), Mr De Beer’s church, the Reformed Church, a conservative tier of one of the three reformed sister churches, also embrace little Gift with open arms alongside the entire congregation.
Gift sings and prays in Afrikaans, and Mr De Beer, who took Gift into his home at six weeks, also ensured that Gift was baptized.
Gift has his own room in Mr De Beer and his wife, Elmaleine’s home in Steve Biko Street, metres away from where Gift goes to school at Dennesig Primary.
The boy was left in the arms of his grandmother Selina, who’s been working for the De Beers for the past 25-years.
She had a tough choice to make, either stay on earning a living for her, her children and her grandchildren, or stay at home and raise the baby boy.
For the De Beers there was however no choice to make, Selina would stay and stay in the house alongside Gift.
“Why should Selina sleep in the outside room, historically built for maids in this country, when we have rooms open in the house?” Mr De Beer asked Wednesday while little Gift sat in his lap staring at a photo of him and his “Oupa” taken at the time he arrived at their doorstep.
Local crocodile farmer Mr Danie Venter and his wife Rosemarie also saw their black son Joshua off to Laerskool C.R. Swart on Wednesday.
This inspirational story (see the Afrikaans version elsewhere), comes amid a national debate on racism over the past two weeks, following the suspension of Standard Bank economist and global investment strategist, Mr Chris Hart, regarding his Twitter sentiments – “More than 25 years after Apartheid ended, the victims are increasing along with a sense of entitlement and hatred towards minorities…”
Middelburg is again showing the world why the town is SA’s Town of the Year. Madiba would indeed be proud of Middelburg, as Mayor Mike Masina opened after the announcement of Middelburg as kykNET’s Town of the Year, a title which could not have been won without the support of all communities in Middelburg.
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Video: Frewin’s got that voting for Middelburg fever!
Video: Middelburg Kwêla dorp van die jaar!
Vote, Vote, Vote for Middelburg town of the year!
Video: Optog deur dorp van die jaar!
