'Gloves were off': PAC facilitates 'robust' ANC-Afrikaner exchange

The ANC,PAC and Afrikaner Leadership Network held a tense four-hour closed-door meeting in Sandton to address disputes over the BELA Act,land expropriation,and US-SA relations.

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The ANC and the Afrikaner Leadership Network addressed contentious issues in a four-hour meeting in Sandton,facilitated by the PAC.Heated discussions focused on the BELA Act,the Expropriation Act,farm murder claims,and US-SA relations.Both sides have pledged to seek South African solutions to national challenges but agreed not to disclose further details to avoid jeopardising talks.The hush-hush four-hour marathon meeting between the ANC and the Afrikaner Leadership Network at a hotel in Sandton has been at least four weeks in the making,and the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC) finally convinced the organisations to meet on Tuesday. 

Though a decision was taken at the meeting not to divulge any further details,the PAC told News24,“there was blood on the floor and blood on the walls” as the organisations discussed contentious issues,including the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act,Expropriation Act,untruths around farm murders and US-SA relations. 

The Afrikaner Leadership Network includes the Solidariteit Movement,Solidariteit and AfriForum - entities that the ANC has publicly condemned. 

AfriForum has also criticised the ANC for its ties to Iran and Hamas. 

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“All I can tell you is that in the meeting itself,the discussions were so robust. There was blood on the floor and blood on the walls there; the gloves were taken off,” the PAC’s Jaki Seroke said. 

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The meeting was co-chaired by PAC leader Mzwanele Nyhontso and Seroke. The ANC also sent a delegation of mostly women,led by its first deputy secretary-general,Nomvula Mokonyane. AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel also attended alongside Solidariteit and Solidariteit Movement representatives. Southern African Agri Initiative boss Theo de Jager also reportedly attended. 

“We organised a meeting. We are responsible for bringing the two entities together. The ANC and the group of Afrikaners had reached a stalemate around issues like the BELA,and there were lots of problems relating to those negotiations over the use of Afrikaans,and several other things that were touchy subjects. 

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“But in reality,the two had been talking to each other over time; they’ve been consulting with each other,and the stalemate made the tensions so high that they were not even prepared to talk to each other,” Seroke said. 

He added after learning of the tensions,the PAC decided to intervene. 

“It took a bit of time,but within a few weeks,we were able to have this meeting that took place on Tuesday.

It was a tough meeting because I think the disagreements they had went too deep in such a manner that they had to tell each other off.

“Among the issues that are pertinent is this dimension that includes the US,and the allegations that farmers were killed and so on,these things that we do not know,there’s no evidence of it. 

“So all of that entanglement needs careful,careful dealing with. So there’s a lot of diplomacy and an approach to it in such a way that we have agreed with the three entities,PAC,ANC and the Afrikaner Leadership Network,that at this stage,we will not disclose the contents of what we were discussing,” Seroke said.

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Asked why the PAC felt the need to intervene,he added: “The PAC has its own checkered history. We found out that we are at each other’s throats for nothing in most instances,and we will fight because we have presumptions which are based on falsehoods. So the best thing is to talk to each other.

“We have learnt from our own internal experiences and also looking at the broader South Africa that the concept of holding dialogue,not monologues,dialogues and treating each other fairly,whether the party is small or big,is essential,” Seroke added. 

The Afrikaner Leadership Network and the ANC also confirmed the meeting through similarly worded statements. 

According to the statements,the respective parties held robust and frank discussions on various issues of national interest. 

“[Tuesday’s] dialogue is a clear indication that,as South Africans,we have a collective responsibility to address the challenges that our nation faces. 

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“The parties have identified issues around which we are committed to find South African solutions,in the interest of a diverse and united nation,” ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri wrote. 

Kriel also reiterated the statement’s sentiments,adding that “all parties are committed to ensuring that we find solutions“.

“However,we decided not to give any further comment as we want to ensure that the negotiations process is not jeopardised by various parties getting into a public debate,” he said. 

Attempts to reach ANC spokesperson Bhengu-Motsiri have been unsuccessful. Her comments will be added once received.

*EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was edited to correct the spelling of Theo de Jager.