Everything you need to know about the Angus Buchan vs EFF fiasco

Pastor Angus Buchan on Tuesday faced a backlash from the EFF after saying only Afrikaners and Jews had a covenant with God.

EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu this week circulated a clip in which Buchan can be heard saying, “remembering that only two nations in the world have ever been in covenant with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They are the Jewish people and the Afrikaans people. That is a fact.”

Buchan was promoting the Stand Up For Jesus prayer event planned for February 2020 at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria.

Godrich Gardee weighs in

EFF spokesperson Godrich Gardee weighed in, suggesting bombs be placed inside the stadium.

In a now-deleted tweet, Gardee said: “That stadium needs some limpet mines booby-trapped around it prior to that date. Then let’s see what happens to the only people who have a ‘covenant with God.

“I know this boer religious fanatic is misrepresenting the Jewish people, but he must be banned from our television screens,” he said.

Buchan's apology

Last week, Buchan apologised on Facebook for his comments. He repeated the apology on Twitter on Tuesday, saying his statement was a “misunderstanding”.

“I would like to apologise and to clear up any misunderstanding that I might have made with the statement that went out recently.

“The word covenant in the Oxford Dictionary means: 'An agreement held to be the basis of a relationship of commitment with God'.

“Having stated that the Jews and the Afrikaans peoples were the only two nations that had a covenant with God is totally wrong and for that statement, I humbly ask your forgiveness,” he said.

Buchan added that his intention was never to hurt anyone.

“In all my years as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, it has never, ever been my intention to hurt any man, woman, or child or create division amongst any race, people or creed in this beautiful country of ours, South Africa. If my statement has led to any division, please forgive me.”

Gardee withdraws his threat

Gardee posted his own apology, saying: “I withdraw my earlier comments regarding limpet mines.

“This is what we are subjected to. Stir up racial disharmony and apologise when taken to task.

“The fact is that the man sees Africans in their own country and continent as subhuman and not [worthy] of God,” he added.

AfriForum calls for prosecution

AfriForum deputy CEO Ernst Roets said: “This is not only hate speech, it’s incitement to violence. Godrich should be prosecuted.”