MEDIA STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RACIST INCIDENTS REJECTED IN STRONGEST POSSIBLE TERMS

Pretoria, 17 December 2004: The racist incidents that occurred at Blood River on 16 December 2004, are rejected and deplored by both the Board of Directors and the management of the Voortrekker Monument (VTM), who is in overall control of the Blood River site, in the strongest possible terms, as the incidents are in direct conflict with the VTM’s well-known stance on future orientated, constructive involvement and approved policies and guideline.

This assurance has earlier today been given to Dr S Ndlovu and Mr K Buthelezi, respectively the Chairman and the CEO of the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA), by Gert Opperman, the CEO of the VTM. It is known that there is a good working relationship between SAHRA and the VTM, and both institutions pledged themselves to fully investigate and address the matter concerned without delay.

In the first incident an unknown member of the public, attending a church service on the Blood River site, informed a Black photographer of a local newspaper in a rude, insulting and racist way that his presence at Blood River was unwanted. In a second, unrelated incident, members of the small but extremist right wing religious group, the Daughter of Zion, chased a German tourist and his Black wife from the Wagon Laager, claiming that they had no business at the Wagon Laager on 16 December.

“The VTM will not allow any racist behaviour or hooliganism at any of the sites under its control, including Blood River. All our facilities are open to all members of the public on everyday of the year, and we go out of our way to ensure that all visitors are received as guests, in a hospitable and dignified manner. This makes the two incidents under reference even more unfortunate, and the VTM will have an urgent meeting with the local organising committee to review all relevant policies and guidelines, to try and avoid a recurrence of any similar incident,” says Gert Opperman, the CEO of the VTM.

The VTM has thus far received wide acclaim, also from government, for the open minded approach it has displayed towards constructive engagement and co-operation with the organs of government, like the Freedom Park Trust and SAHRA, and members of all race groups in the country, and in particular the active steps it has taken to promote the national heritage and -programme of nation building and reconciliation.

“Unfortunately it is virtually impossible to predict or control the behaviour of extremist individuals, who are in no way involved in either the management of the Blood River site or the arrangements of the day. Visitors come from across the country, in exceptional cases with their own hidden agendas, and in most cases they are not known to management beforehand. We are doing our utmost to identify the individuals responsible for the unacceptable behaviour, and, if successful, intend to ban them from participation of any future activities on the Blood River site”, says Opperman.

Some of the members of the Daughter of Zion have already earlier been banned by court order from entering the Blood River site. To avoid conflict and unruly incidents, some of the other members of the movement have thus far been allowed to enter the site on 16 December in limited numbers, under Police escort and only for a very limited time span. It was during such an escorted visit that the second incident took place.

“No member of the Daughter of Zion movement will thus again be allowed to visit the site on 16 December, as they have now finally proven themselves to be totally untrustworthy. It is indeed sorry that such extremist elements take it upon themselves to undo all the positive steps taken with great pain by the VTM to help to build a better future for all in the country, in co-operation and in consultation with the relevant organs of state”, says Opperman.

Management has, on learning about the incidents, immediately and sincerely apologised to the aggrieved members of public, and the apology is again repeated on behalf of the institutions concerned. “All members of public must please know that they are indeed welcome to visit the VTM and all other facilities under its control, to come and experience for themselves the hospitality we try to show to all our esteemed guests. If any unfortunate incident does occur at any stage, the affected persons are requested to please contact management without delay, as we will not tolerate that our guests are treated in any untoward way”, says Opperman.

RELEASED BY:

MAJ GEN GERT OPPERMAN (RET)

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER