Eugene TerreBlanche funeral
Many whites pulls it to the farm of murdered Eugene TerreBlanche
To him it was quiet. After the murder of Eugene Terreblanche is increasingly beleaguered white farmers report their say. Often remain unpunished crimes on them, police and politicians look away.
Of the first episodes of the murder of Eugene Terreblanche testify about 25 street signs of the N12 highway. Unknown, they have sprayed near the small town of Ventersdorp with graffiti, not far from the farm on which South Africa’s most famous racist leader was murdered. “AWB” there is now smeared – an abbreviation of the organization Africans Weerstandsbeweging, the Terreblanche had done for decades.
About a week has passed since the 69-year-old TerreBlanche was killed on Saturday by two of his workers. So brutal that “was no longer recognizable face” according to AWB spokesman Pieter Steyn that. He does not believe in a dispute over money, police had reported. The presentation of the ruling party African National Congress (ANC), the act had no political background, was incredible.
One should not imagine South Africa as a country close to civil war. But the atmosphere in parts of rural white population is heating up. On Tuesday it came before the Court of Ventersdorp, where the trial began against the confessed to fisticuffs between AWB supporters and passers-by. Today when Terre Blanche is to be buried on his property, is expecting a large contingent of police.
The anger is directed mainly against Julius Malema. Fervently was the leader of the ANC Youth League in early March to students “Kill the Boers” (Kill the Boers) sung a song from the liberation struggle. Several courts banned the song as “inflammatory language”. The party suffered Malemas behavior yet – it is part of their political culture, let the young talent to an ample margin.
After all, President Jacob Zuma, who had watched the almost daily inflammatory language against the white minority Malemas frighteningly stoic criticized him this time unusually sharp. The political elite had to think before they make statements “that could achieve the opposite of what we want – build a nation.”
He said the majority of South Africans from the soul, regardless of skin color. They fear the murder could just before the 2010 World Cup so far achieved reconciliation set in the background. ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe announced on Wednesday in talks with Malema under which “the people will see the change.”
But the 29-year-old was previously intransigent, and also the will of the ANC is clearly not just about clear: The party condemned the act, but still no ban adopted the text, instead, a spokesman pointed right decision points to a white farmer , is said to have beaten his workers recently. A successful de-escalation policy is different.
Who in these days of TerreBlanche’s farm runs, the experienced how great the damage, as had many sympathizers, despite his racist views. During the transition period to democracy in the early 90s, the AWB was openly threatened with war. The organization is also known then to attacks before it was quiet around them. Terre Blanche also took his goal no longer as loud as before: the formation of a separate state for the white population. Are now dozens of bouquets of flowers at the entrance to Terre Blanche’s farm. For this, two stuffed animals: “I love you” is written on a giant teddy bear. Rarely is the community of some 40 000 white farmers of the country was so much commotion. Many families drove hither, shocked. Far not all were active AWB members, many sympathizers, but some also simply drove the anger at the murders of farmers to Ventersdorp. The statistics vary 1500-4000 since 1994. The Eugene Terreblanche funeral has symbolic character.
Dirk Venter was one of the angry, his farm is located a few kilometers away. “They have slaughtered him like a pig,” said the 59-year-old, “this thing can end badly.” On Sunday AWB activists applied in their khaki uniforms marched through the city. Since the perpetrators had long since made to the police, they waited on the farm. “Otherwise, they would come out of there dead,” says Venter.
Next to him is the builder Johann Bruwer. Two hours later he arrived from Johannesburg, “a patriot”. This time can not all be swept under the carpet. His older brother was long AWB member, he despised him for it earlier. But he said: “If I had felt then, as now, I would be joined.”
The AWB is the murder of new supply. So many uniforms and flags has not seen since the Ventersdorp sleepy years. A counter-attack there would not be, says AWB spokesman Pieter Steyn. But also: “we are talking about politics again until after the funeral.”
Something he could already announce: “We have received thousands of requests since Saturday for new admissions.” It is doubtful whether the organization was marginalized and had just recently as the young generation barely feed. But present it is again. Abruptly.