A controversial statement on South Africa’s ruling party ANC twitter thread referred to the white population as murderers. The tweet which has subsequently been deleted, read: “The biggest mistake we are making is to consult murderers. White people are 9% of the population, they own 79% of land. They never came and consulted us for the land. If they want us to forgive them now, then let us share the land, the mineral resources.” The statement which was not particularly quoted came as a shock to many, who assumed it was the view of the ANC itself.
The party announced to critics that it had merely been quoting the remarks of one of the members of the public who had come to parliament’s constitutional review committee’s public hearing on the review of section 25 of the constitution that was being held in the town of Beaufort West in the Western Cape. However, the critics did not buy the excuse and pointed out that the party should have made that clearer, by putting the ludicrous statement in quotes. The ANC account heeded the criticisms in an attempt to make it more apparent that it was not necessarily expressing the views of the party.
However, by posting such remark the damage had already been done as many still find it unacceptable. A legal expert, Helene Eloff, weighed in on the matter pointing out that the ANC had erred and is therefore exposed to liability for the expressed view since a disclaimer can’t be applied to retract it.
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