A meeting on rural crime between Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa and rightwingers was abandoned shortly after it began in Pretoria on Thursday.
Mthethwa said afterwards he had taken exception to mention of the African National Congress at the beginning of deliberations.
“As we started, the delegation raised issues about the ANC. I can’t talk about ANC matters on a government platform,” he said.
“We were ready so that if there was anything that relates to crime matters we would attend it. We actually had to cancel the meeting.”
The parties held separate news briefings, starting with Mthethwa and national police chief General Riah Phiyega, followed by the rightwing movement, Gelofte Volk (People of the Covenant).
Gelofte Volk leader Andre Visagie said the “Boer leaders” of three organisations — Gelofte Volk, the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB) and the Commando Corps — had wanted to discuss farm murders with Mthethwa.
“We wanted to discuss the security situation in South Africa. I had submitted the agenda of the meeting to the PA (personal assistant) of the minister.
“It is a pity and I feel very much embarrassed and belittled because the minister was not informed by his people that we had taken the initiative to arrange the meeting,” said Visagie.
He said the minister became upset at the use of the word “ANC” instead of “government”.
“My perception is that it is the same thing because the ANC is the government. I said we are not sure whether the ANC supports the riots [at farm wage-related protests],” he said.
“He [Mthethwa] said ‘now you are making it a political thing’.”
Visagie said he was optimistic another meeting would be held.
“Today our meeting was arranged for 10am but he came in at 12pm. He found something to blame to cut the meeting short,” he said.
Visagie is former AWB general secretary.
In 2010, he resigned to start the Gelofte Volk Republikeine, and said he wanted to fulfil a promise he made to slain AWB leader Eugene Terre’Blanche.
Visagie said the government had put in place more interventions to protect the rhino population than it had to protect farmers.
“In the past years, 4000 white farmers were murdered but there is no special unit to protect them. It doesn’t make sense to us,” he said.
“We see that the rhino appears to be more important in South Africa than the lives of our white people. Killing of rhinos in South Africa is a priority crime, but the killing of white farmers isn’t,” he said.
Visagie threatened to intervene in farmworkers’ often violent protests in the Western Cape.
“My question is who is going to protect our people on their properties now? If those people [farmers] in the Western Cape ask us to come and help, we will help,” he said.
“I’m prepared to leave my business and go there. I will help them [farmers] to protect their property. That is what we wanted to discuss with the minister. We want to help our people.”
Asked what he and his associates would do in the Western Cape, Visagie said he would take his firearm to turbulent areas.
“I will take my legal firearm with me, I will go down to the Western Cape and book in at one of the farms being threatened.
“If it comes to [the] push, I am going to help that farmer to protect his property, because the police have failed to do it.” – Sapa