Mngxitama trying to take SA back to 'dark ages of apartheid', says ANC

The ANC has slated Black First Land First (BLF) president Andile Mngxitama for urging supporters to kill five white people for every black person killed, saying he threatens to take SA back to the “dark ages of apartheid”.

"The ANC views Mngxitama’s outburst and threats to the lives of other South Africans as an attempt to set us back to the dark ages of apartheid. The rant about 'killing white people' shows an extent of his ignorance to the history of this country," the ANC said on Wednesday.

Mngxitama told BLF supporters at a rally in Potchefstroom, North West, on Saturday: “You kill one of us, we will kill five of you. We will kill their children, we will kill their women, we will kill anything that we find on our way.”

The ruling party called the statements racist and divisive, and wants the SA Human Right Commission (SAHRC) to investigate.

“His comments clearly incite violence in South Africa.”

The ANC asked South Africans to “isolate those people who continue with their divisive slurs in threatening the lives of others”.

“We need to learn about each other’s practices, respect the right to freedom and be tolerant of each other.”