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SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma today denied that he was racist and assured white people that they should not fear being “chased” out of Nelson Mandela’s “Rainbow Nation”.
The president also said that a new law preventing foreign ownership of land in South Africa applied only to agricultural properties and not to private residences.
Zuma was reacting to concerns raised by some white South Africans after he told a rally of his ruling African National Congress that all the country’s troubles began when the first white settlers landed more than 300 years ago.
“South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white,” he told parliament, quoting the ANC’s Freedom Charter, which was adopted during the fight to end the white racist system of apartheid.
Breaking away from his written speech in response to debate on his state of the nation address last week, he said: “We are a rainbow nation, nobody will chase you away. There should be no fear.”
But, he said, he would never stop talking about history because South Africa’s children should know the country’s past to ensure that mistakes were not repeated.
Zuma’s off-the-cuff remarks won enthusiastic applause.
It was a redemption of a kind for the president, who has been under fire over the past week since security forces were called into parliament to evict lawmakers who disrupted his annual address by accusing him of corruption.
He said the government was committed to freedom of speech and pledged that the cutting of mobile phone signals in parliament ahead of his address — a move which infuriated reporters and opposition lawmakers — would never happen again.
- © AFP 2015.
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My grandfather was in good company so, same unit as Leo!
@winston smith: chip off the old block?
I’d say your Grandfather wasn’t happy calling you after churchill so.
And there’s me thinking I was named after Winnie the Pooh…how could they!
Oriel House is a great story yet to be brought to the wider public! Pseudo intelligence unit doing the Free State Cabinets unsavoury work.
@Paul Maher: would now be known as a murder gang, only this was being done by the so called government.
@Larry Doherty: the so called goverment…… Did they the anti treaty side ever become the goverment or is it still the so called goverment 90 give or take years on
@Paul Maher:
GHQ Intelligence Squad, formed 1919, were based in Abbey Street.
GHQ Intelligence Office were based in Crowe Street.
Dublin Brigade ASU, formed in 1920, we’re based in Strand Street.
The Dublin Guard were based in Celbridge and later Beggars Bush.
Military Intelligence & CID were based in Oriel House – A common mistake made over the years by republicans is to say the Squad ended up being the murder gang in Oriel House. The funny thing is very few of the Squad had connections with Oriel House – only Paddy ‘Specky’ Griffin‘s name has been associated with the place in its early days. Nevertheless, it’s widely known that torture was used in Oriel House and men were murdered by members of the CID. Equally men were murdered and tortured by Dev’s men. It was a brutal Civil War.
Sure wasn’t the bold IRA more than a million brave men and women strong.. or was it two million??
Nice chips but at €3.50 …. They are a bit pricey
@Shane Freeney:
I agree too pricey and not the best in dublin golden chip in phibs way better
Smells fishy ! But great non the less.
When the chips are down, Burdocks is yer only man!
Documents have name listed as Liam Burdock social welfare fraud alive and well way back then.
@TonyF: his father was Patrick and his mother was Bella so who is Liam?
What a man!
Oriel House would make a great book if any historian got around to writing it.
Those in there lost the run of themselves after the death of Collins and were worse than the tans…
The DUP are now calling for immediate closure and decommissioning of all Leo burdocks premises before peace talks can recommence….
Have to visit next time I’m in the big smoke.
have your say