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NEW BOER WAR?
Farmers
threaten armed struggle A handful of farmers presented a memorandum on Wednesday to the Transvaal Agricultural Union's SA president, Paul van der Walt, urging him to convey their concerns to the government in the strongest possible language. These included "artificial pressure" on their language, culture, land and arms. "The way in which white farmers are being made a legitimate target as an excuse for slow land reform, should stop immediately," said the documents. This should be seen against the background of farm murders. Authorities asked to help "If not, we will consider the government to be part of the threat and treat it as such," stated the memorandum. "What would the authorities and the ANC have done in our situation in which taxes and expropriation are applied to a specific group? "The ANC's struggle history seems to be the answer." The group demanded an effective and responsible government in which they could farm safely and with financial sustainability. Call for Separation If the government lacked the will or means to ensure this, the group demanded a separate space in which they could live according to their own norms and standards. This could eventually be to the benefit of all, said the memorandum. Earlier, a handful of farmers gathered outside the conference hall at tea time with posters reading "Geen boer, geen kos" (no farmer, no food), "Ons grond eise = hongersnood" (land claims = famine), "Weg met grond rowers" (away with land robbers), and "Weg met kommunisme" (away with communism). One used the opportunity to lobby for the retention of the capital city's name, with a placard reading "Pretoria bly (remains) Pretoria". The group sang
Die Lied van Jong Suid Afrika (The song of young South Africa) before
going back into the meeting.
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