In Parliament’s National Assembly (NA), the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) recently compared genocide to a storm that is brewing, not a sudden storm wreaking havoc, but one that is preceded by certain signs. These signs are already evident and should be taken seriously.
The signs enable people to take precautions before it is too late. This analogy was used during a Member’s Statement by the Freedom Front Plus in the renewed debate on genocide, looming genocide or the absence thereof.
The international organisation Genocide Watch is an institution that monitors developments worldwide to issue timely warnings of impending genocide. They identify 10 stages of genocide, of which only the ninth involves extermination.
According to Genocide Watch, white farmers in South Africa are at stage six – polarisation. Characteristics of this stage include polarising statements and propaganda, the killing of moderate members of the aggressor group as well as members of the target group, disarmament of the target group, and legislation that undermines self-defence.
A specific stage is reached when some of the listed events begin to occur, so, all do not necessarily need to be present. The abolition of the commandos in 2003, which previously ensured rural safety, as well as the draft regulations on firearms for private security companies, published in April this year, significantly undermine farmers’ ability to protect themselves. While prominent figures are not specifically targeted, the South African crime scene is clearly characterised by farm murders.
The debate on whether “Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer” is literal or figurative fades against the reality of farm murders. Dismissing the person inciting a crowd to chant it as the leader of a minority party is meaningless if the President does not oppose him publicly.
In fact, the President’s contribution to the conversation is in itself concerning. In the context of land reform, he refers in an exclusionary manner to “our people”. It fuels polarisation when a country’s president does not recognise a portion of the population as his people.
When a storm is brewing, one has to take precautionary measures; one cannot wait for the ship to sink. That is why the Freedom Front Plus takes genocide seriously and shines the spotlight on it. Although we have not yet reached the stage of extermination, it would be foolish to sit around and wait for it before addressing the issue.
