‘What Reconciliation day? Dis Geloftedag’, says FF+’s Groenewald

Freedom Front Plus leader, Dr Pieter Groenewald has insisted that he will continue to celebrate 16 December as the apartheid-era Day of the Vow (Geloftedag) and not as the Day of Reconciliation, because of the day’s significance in Afrikaner history.

Groenewald said despite the ANC’s talk of reconciliation, the country remains polarised along racial lines, and in a hard-hitting speech at the ‘Day of the Vow’ celebrations in Ventersdorp on Wednesday morning, Groenewald said the ANC was secretly destroying the country and covertly attacking Afrikaner culture.

Groenewald reminded listeners of the battle between the Afrikaner Voortrekkers and Dingane’s Zulu warriors at Blood River, urging them to defend themselves against this supposed “invisible enemy”.

“The Afrikaner nation needs to realise that in 1838, there was a visible enemy with the Battle of Blood River. The new enemy is, however, invisible.

“This enemy is much more dangerous, seeing as he performs his work of destruction in secret. It is a covert attack on things like the Afrikaner’s language and culture in an attempt to make him ashamed of who and what he is,”Groenewald said.

Add to that the constant accusations that everything that goes wrong in the country is the white people’s fault and that they ‘stole’ the land.

“It is against the attacks of this invisible enemy that the Afrikaner must defend himself in the future. And in order to do this he must empower himself with knowledge about his culture and history.

“The truth is that the Afrikaners who came to this country have built it up for the benefit of all who live in this country. Be proud of that and continue to build on the Afrikaner’s cultural foundation – be part of those who build up and not those who break down,” he said.

“The Day of the Vow cannot be pit against Reconciliation Day, and the two must not be played off against each other,” Groenewald said.

“Instead, the opportunity must be used to create a win-win situation for everyone who wants to commemorate this day. As leader of the FF Plus, I commemorate it as the Day of the Vow seeing as it is an important part of the Afrikaner history.”

Groenewald, whose party stands for the interests of Afrikaners, said it was not for the government to decide what was important and of value for certain people. It is for the Afrikaner nation to decide for itself whether or not they want to commemorate the vow.

“The ANC likes to talk about reconciliation and Reconciliation Day, but it is clear that what the ANC government says and what it does are two different things. It is alarming that at present, despite the lip service about reconciliation, the only thing that is created is polarisation between black and white,” Groenewald said.

He criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa for the stance he had taken on the Brackenfell school racism incident, during which EFF supporters protested, following a private party hosted by white pupils, which excluded their black counterparts. During the eff protest, a fight ensued between parents and EFF supporters outside the school last month.

Groenewald claimed Ramaphosa’s endorsed the EFF’s conduct by saying that it was the EFF’s constitutional right to hold protest actions at schools.

“In this case, President Ramaphosa chose sides against the school without first making sure of the facts. His statements violate the right to freedom of association and undermine reconciliation, while it is, in fact, the President’s constitutional duty to bring about reconciliation in South Africa,” Groenewald said.

“Clearly, the President is failing to perform his duty in this regard.

– ericn@citizen.co.za

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.