Adjunkspeaker, 'n mosie waarin plaasmoorde in Suid-Afrika as ernstige menseregtevergryppe veroordeel is, is deur die Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation, UNPO, se algemene kongres in Rome aanvaar. Die mosie is deur Dr Pieter Mulder, VF Plus leier, voorgestel en gemotiveer.
Die bywoning van die kongres en die stel van die mosie is deel van die VF Plus se plan vir die internasionalisering van die Suid-Afrikaanse situasie, want dit help nie om te wag totdat dit te laat is en jou dan eers op die wreld vir hulp te beroep nie. Die wreld behoort deurlopend op hoogte gehou te word oor prestasies, maar ook oor menseregtevergryppe, in Suid- Afrika.
Die feit dat meer as 3 000 boere en hul werkers sedert 1994 in Suid-Afrika vermoor is, regverdig internasionale aandag. As 'n groep, verteenwoordig dit ongeveer 300 moorde per honderd-duisend van die bevolking. Dit is ook genoegsame rede om plaasmoorde as prioriteitsmisdaad te verklaar, en 'n ernstige beroep word in die verband op die Minister van Polisie gedoen.
Die komitee wat in 2003 aangestel was om plaasmoorde te ondersoek het toe reeds bevind dat die kanse dat die slagoffer in 'n plaasaanval beseer sal word, twee maal so groot is as in transitorooftogte. Die kanse dat die slagoffer sal sterf is dr maal so groot as in transitorooftogte. Dit alles is genoegsame rede vir internasionalisering van plaasmoorde.
As verder in ag geneem word dat meer as 5,56 miljoen mense in Suid-Afrika net die afgelope sewe jaar slagoffers was van geweldsmisdade, is Suid- Afrika 'n geweldadige land.
Dr Mulder is ook tydens hierdie kongres op UNPO se dagbestuur of presidensie verkies.
Die kongres het verder die posisie van minderhede binne 'n demokrasie behandel. Politieke oplossings soos magsdeling, federalisme en selfbeskikking is bespreek. 'n Algemene mosie wat deur die kongres aanvaar is beklemtoon die belangrikheid van die behoud van 'n eie taal en kultuur in die beskerming van minderhede. Dankie. (Translation of Afrikaans member's statement follows.)
[Mr P J GROENEWALD (FF Plus): Hon Deputy Speaker, a motion in which farm murders in South Africa are condemned as serious human rights violations, has been accepted by the general congress of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation, UNPO, in Rome. The motion was introduced and motivated by the leader of the FF Plus, Dr Pieter Mulder.
Attending the congress and introducing the motion was part of the FF Plus's plan to internationalise the South African situation, because it is of no use to wait until it is too late and only then ask the world for help. The world should continuously be kept abreast of achievements, but also of human rights violations, in South Africa.
The fact that more than 3 000 farmers and their workers have been murdered in South Africa since 1994, justifies international attention. As a group, it represents approximately 300 murders per hundred thousand of the population. It is also a good enough reason to declare farm murders a priority crime, and an urgent appeal is made to the Minister of Police in this regard.
The committee, which was appointed in 2003 to investigate farm murders, found at that stage already that the chance of a victim being injured in a farm attack was twice as high as in a cash-in-transit robbery. The chance of the victim dying was three times as high as in a cash-in-transit robbery. These findings are adequate reason for the internationalisation of farm murders.
If it is also taken into consideration that more than 5,56 million people in South Africa were victims of violent crimes in the past seven years alone, then South Africa is a violent country.
Dr Mulder was also elected to UNPO'S executive committee or presidency during this congress.
The congress also discussed the position of minorities within a democracy. Political solutions such as power-sharing, federalism and self- determination were discussed. A general motion that was accepted by the congress emphasised the importance of the preservation of an own language and culture in the protection of minorities. Thank you.]