‘I won’t apologise…’: MK Party MP on farm attack tweet

MK Party MP Andile Mngxitama has seemingly backtracked on his comments mocking the farm attack on North West cattle farmer, Donovan Marx.

The outspoken politician came under fire after he claimed that chopping off Marx’s ears was “symbolic” to “denote the refusal of land thieves to listen”.

Five suspects – including one who once worked on the farm – have since been arrested in connection with the incident.

Speaking to IOL, Andile Mngxitama responded to the backlash of his comments mocking the farm attack on Donovan Marx last week.

The MK Party MP defiantly claimed that his words were “taken out of context”, accusing his critics of “selective outrage”.

He said: “I won’t apologise for something that they chose to take out of context. They have a selective outrage over crime in this country, and that’s what they must explain instead. Our black farmworkers are facing daily abuse, yet there’s no outrage and no justice. One white farmer is attacked, and there is this mass hysteria and the suspects are arrested within days.

Speaking of his comments mocking Marx’s injuries, he added: “When I said ears are symbolic for listening, I did not take away the horrible crime against the farmer, which we condemn. I meant it metaphorically that we need to listen to the cries of black farmworkers too, and the issue around land ownership, which remains unresolved”.

Mngxitama’s comments come shortly after EFF leader Julius Malema – known for singing the controversial struggle song Kill The Boer – also publicly condemned the farm attack.

Malema said during a rally at the Orlando Stadium over the weekend: “Comrades, the chant, ‘Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer,’ was never meant in a literal sense. We never called for the literal killing of human beings.

“We will never call for the literal killing of human beings. The killing on the farms of our own farmers must stop. We never promote the killing of white farmers or black farmers. How can we kill the people who are feeding us?

The outspoken party leader called on police to hand over the suspects to the EFF.

He added: “Those people who have killed that farmer in Ventersdorp must be brought here to Orlando Stadium. We want to teach them a lesson because the police have failed them.”

SAHRC RESPONDS TO MK PARTY MP’S TWEET

Meanwhile, the South African Human Rights Commission has formally responded to calls to act on Andile Mngxitama’s tweet about the recent farm attack.

SAHRC Commissioner Tshepo Madlingozi told The South African in a statement: “The South African Human Rights Commission confirms that it has received complaints against Mr Andile Mngxitama regarding a post on Mr Donovan Marx. The Commission is assessing the complaints in line with its Complaint Handling Procedure.  

“The decision of the assessment will be communicated in due course as empowered by section 13(3)(b) of the South African Human Rights Commission Act 40 of 2013 (SAHRC Act), read with section 20 of the Equality Act, 2000”.

 It continued: “The Commission wishes to remind members of the public that the right to freedom of expression is not absolute. The Constitution and the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act of 2000 prohibit utterances that are intended to be harmful or propagate hatred on any of the listed grounds. ”