Galg-poppe skok by hof
Apr 18 2009 12:22:44:970AM - (SA)
Tom de wet

ODENDAALSRUS. – “Meer bloed van boere het die afgelope tyd gevloei as in al die boereoorloë saam. Nie eens Dingaan het in sy waansin daaraan gedink om ons vroue met gebreekte bottels dood te martel nie.”

Dit was gister hier by die landdroshof op Odendaalsrus die woorde van mnr. Eugene Terre’Blanche, AWB-leier, op ’n saamtrek van die Boerevolk-Vryheidstigting waar teen borgtog vir die aanklaagdes in die moord op mev. Alice Lotter en haar dogter Helen, verlede maand op Allanridge, betoog is.

’n Konfliksituasie is op die laaste nippertjie ontlont toe Terre’Blanche se aanhangers die toespraak van mev. Mathabo Leeto, uitvoerende burgemeester van Matjhabeng, met die sing van Die Stem uitgedoof het.

Sy en ANC-aanhangers was ook vir dié hofsaak en die van twee boere en hul werknemers wat van die moord op ’n mieliedief aangekla word by die hof.

Leeto, wat toestemming vir haar optog gehad het, het die Boerevolk-aanhangers, wat nie toestemming gehad het nie, genooi om hulle by hulle aan te sluit en oor die kleurgrens heen teen misdaad te betoog. Hierop het Terre’Blanche sy groep aangehits om met trompette en die sing van Die Stem vir Leeto stil te maak.

Leeto het by die polisie daarop aangedring om hul werk te doen en die onwettige optoggangers vas te vat. Terre’Blanche se groep het daarna op sy aandrang begin wegbeweeg.

Terre’Blanche het aan sy aanhangers gesê hy is bereid om vir sy saak weer tronk toe te gaan, en sal nog sterker daar uitkom. “Moet nooit oorgee nie, want dan sal ons almal bottelstukke vreet!”

Ontstellende tonele het daarna afgespeel, waar mnr. Edwin Leemans van die Boerevolk-Vryheid-stigting opgestopte poppe eers met ’n mes en ’n gebreekte bottel gesteek het en dit toe aan die brand gesteek het.

Nagemaakte bloed het op sy hemp en op omstanders gespat.

Hy sê hy wil hiermee die wreedheid en die trauma rondom die vroue se moorde uitbeeld.

Mev. Elize Potterton, sakevrou van Odendaalsrus, het hierop sy mikrofoon gevat en gesê dit is so dat almal keelvol vir misdaad is, maar om soos barbare op te tree is nie reg nie. “Ons moet ons land in die hande van die Here gee en nie in die hande van ’n politieke party nie. Ons moet ons knieë voor God buig dat Hy oor ons regeer.”

Adv. Siphiri Moshodi, voorsitter van Odendaalsrus se gemeenskapspolisiëringsforum, het voor die hof gevra dat almal moet saamstaan teen misdaad, maak nie saak of dit wit of swart is nie. (Lees ook berig hierby.)

Kwaito hit to cost 5FM R10 000 fine
Monica Laganparsad Published:Apr 19, 2009

Out of tune: When DJ Fresh played the song on 5FM it caused a storm, but not on black radio stations

Kwaito star: Arthur Mafokate’s 1995 anthem sold 150 000 copies despite being banned by some stations

‘The only people who actually complained about it, funnily enough, were white people, which suggests to me it was more white guilt than anything else’

Arthur Mafokate and DJ Fresh offer to pay up for ‘Kaffir’ song.

One of South Africa’s major kwaito hits, Kaffir, released 14 years ago and recently replayed on 5FM, has cost the station a R10000 fine, imposed by the broadcast watchdog.

But the DJ at the centre of the fuss has blamed the outcry on “white guilt”.

The Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) ruled this week that Arthur Mafokate’s controversial 1995 protest song has “no place” in a country where “political correctness and sensitivity need to be practised”.

The song, considered a classic, starts with the words: Kom hier, kaffer, kom hier! Hoekom het jy nie my kar skoongemaak nie. .. Bliksem! The reaction follows: Baas, don’t call me a kaffir…

The song goes on to say: I don’t come from the devil, don’t call me a kaffir, you won’t like it if I call you baboon.

Although it was an instant hit in post-apartheid South Africa — it sold more than 150000 copies and became a club sensation — it was banned by several radio stations.

Last November 5FM’s DJ Fresh outraged several listeners when he played the song on his drive time show’s daily segment known as Cheese of the Day. The week’s theme was kwaito.

The SABC, owners of 5FM, said in its appeal that there had been no malicious intent in playing the song. The hit, it claimed, is said to “have set a precedent for the post-apartheid generations’ struggle combining dance music with the new phenomenon of freedom of expression”.

The BCCSA ruled last year that the song amounted to “grossly offensive language” broadcast at a time when children were likely to be part of the audience.

One of the BCCSA tribunal members, Tembeka Mdlulwa, believed the song could offer an educational opportunity for parents. She was, however, outvoted and the appeal was dismissed on Thursday.

Yesterday Mafokate, known as the former king of kwaito, said the song was still relevant.

“I don’t think it was a fair judgment. I wouldn’t encourage radio stations not to play the song and if push comes to shove I will pay the R10000 on their (5FM’s) behalf.”

The singer said the song had been used to re-launch 5FM when its name was changed.

DJ Fresh said he stood by his decision and would meet Mafokate’s payment “halfway”.

“‘The only people who actually complained about it, funnily enough, were white people, which suggests to me that it was more white guilt than anything else.”

He said the song had been on the SABC’s playlist for 14 years, but had previously been played mainly on black stations. When he aired it, he said, many people had heard it for the first time and this may have caused the shock.

The BCCSA dismissed the appeal, saying negative stereotypes could lead to further divisions in society and evoke “deep-lying emotions reminiscent of apartheid”.

Chairman of the appeal tribunal Professor Kobus van Rooyen, said: “The word represents one of the elements of apartheid which degraded a whole nation of black people. The broadcast of the song flies in the face of the constitutional founding values of dignity and equality,” he said.

Complainant Russel Raubach said in a written statement to the BCCSA that the song was “inappropriate” and if a white DJ had played the song there would have been an outcry.

“It takes away the progress we have made in South Africa towards trying to eradicate racism and racist terminology, ” he wrote.

A second complainant, listed as C Coetzee, said “this type of rubbish” was demeaning to white South Africans. — laganparsadm@sundaytimes.co.za

# To read the full BCCSA ruling go to:www.thetimes.co.za