Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB) secretary general Andre Visagie told a large group of foreign journalists outside Eugene Terre’Blanche’s Ventersdorp house on Friday that it was entering into negotiations with the government from next week.
“We want protection for our farmers first and foremost. More than 3 000 farmers have been killed by blacks in the past 14 years. We have had enough. We want to govern ourselves. We have our own culture and our own language.”
Visagie said violence would be a last resort for the right-wing AWB following the murder of its leader, Terre’Blanche, on Saturday.
“We will first enter into peaceful negotiations with the government. If we don’t get joy in our negotiations we will then return to our nation and get a decision. Violence is the very last resort.” he said.
Visagie told foreign journalists that visitors to the upcoming 2010 Soccer World Cup should be extremely concerned about their safety.
“They can come but they must take care of their security because the South African government cannot protect its own, let alone people from other countries
He said he believed Terre’Blanche had been assassinated and not murdered over a wage dispute. Terre’Blanche was allegedly killed by two of his farm workers.
“Is it not coincidental that he was killed on the same day as Chris Hani,” he said, referring to the assassination of the leader of the South African Communist Party on April 10 1993. Terre’Blanche was killed on April 3.
“After Mr Terre’Blanche was killed, the police said ‘We finished our job’.” Visagie claimed.
“I think it was an assassination, not a murder.”
Hundreds of foreign journalists were gathered outside Terre’Blanche’s house, where new AWB president Steyn van Ronge was meeting Terre’Blanche’s family inside.
Tense, but not aggressive
In the early morning, Afrikaans community members of Ventersdorp gathered at the entrance of the Afrikaans Protestant Church for Terre’Blanche’sc funeral, voiced their concerns to the media.
One young man said: “We are simple people here, but we are not scared — if they want a war, we’ll give them a war.”
Others were more moderate, insisting that were not racist, but only concerned for the protection of “their people”.
A man holding a video camera, Rudie Rousseau, had come from Roodepoort to document the proceedings. He encouraged community members question journalists, and asked one black photographer to explain ANCYL Leader Julius Malema’s motives.
The mood was tense, but not aggressive.