Zuma was not worse than Verwoerd — but I support your right to say he was
For those who do not follow the Afrikaans press‚ you would have missed an interesting debate between North West University’s (NWU) political science professor‚ Theo Venter‚ and the Umkhonto we Sizwe Veterans Association’s (MKMVA) spokesperson‚ Carl Niehaus. It goes something like this: Venter makes the claim that the Jacob Zuma period in the presidency was worse than that of apartheid-era presidents and prime ministers going back to 1910. Niehaus loses his cool‚ insisting Zuma was a freedom fighter chosen democratically by the people of SA and that by making such a nonsense comparison‚ Venter demonstrates that he is an unrehabilitated racist. The MKMVA and its allies will demand an inquiry into the conduct of Venter. The management of NWU seems to oblige; there will be an investigation. For days afterwards the debate continues on social media‚ in print and on the airwaves. For many white Afrikaans-speaking South Africans‚ including some with very liberal credentials‚ Theo Venter tel...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.