MEDIA STATEMENT BY MPUMALANGA PREMIER, MR THABANG MAKWETLA
31/03/2005
“I received with total astonishment the report that Mr Masson alleged that he was called “a bloody white farmer” by myself during my tenure as MEC for Safety and Security. Furthermore, that Members of the Provincial Legislature were refused access to Mr Masson’s labourers during a visit by the Legislature, ostensibly because of my conduct.
I find it totally unacceptable for Mr Masson to make such a bad joke by fabricating such a story once again, in order to deny government access to the community of labourers on his farm.
In my previous duties as MEC for Safety and Security I have diligently paid special attention to the acrimonious human relations problem on Mr Masson’s farm, between Mr Masson and his employees and between Mr Masson and councillors and union organisers.
In order to assist in reducing these high levels of hostility which threatened security on Mr Masson’s farm, I even facilitated an inclusive meeting where all parties were present, including the Mayor, Mr Masson, SAPS and legal advisors, in Ermelo. This meeting, difficult as it was, laid a valuable foundation towards an amicable solution and stability on Mr Masson’s farm. It is simple logic that if I had insulted Mr Masson before, he would not have cooperated with my office by attending the above meeting which I facilitated with his consent. Needless to say that I initiated this intervention, in spite of extreme provocation by the gentleman in question, understanding the significance of what this particular problem presented to the province.
It is in this context that Mr Masson must retract this fabrication and apologise publicly, and I hope he will heed this advice. The misplaced opportunistic call by the DA Leader, Mr Clive Hatch, for a commission of enquiry, must be dismissed with the contempt it deserves.
If Mr Hatch was exercising diligence in his duties, and had cared to conduct a limited enquiry before making any public utterances, he would have appreciated the need to exercise caution before coming to the defence of someone who has been dismissed from the SAPS as a reservist, for conduct unbefitting a law-abiding citizen. I wish to enjoin all public representatives in the province, regardless of their political persuasion, to intervene constructively in these matters and to contribute positively to the resolution of these challenges. None of us must lack the courage to confront practices which promote racial tension”.
Issued by Mpumalanga Premier, Thabang Makwetla
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