The director of cooperative services in the Reitz-based Nketoana Municipality has sparked outrage following alleged inflammatory remarks made in a municipal management WhatsApp group.

“We are exposed to danger, we need guns, that’s all. The best is to kill the Boer,” Disebo Motaung reportedly stated, prompting strong condemnation from both political opponents and the broader community.

DA Councillor Anelia Smit described Motaung’s comments as “entirely unacceptable and highly irresponsible,” particularly given her senior role within the municipality. Smit expressed concern that such a “divisive and violent” sentiment was voiced in a forum intended for the management of municipal affairs.

   The WhatsApp group of Nketoane management. Photo supplied.

“As a director within the municipality, Motaung holds a position of significant influence and responsibility. Her words carry weight, and the expression of such violent sentiments poses a serious threat to social cohesion,” Smit said.

“Public officials are expected to act as custodians of peace and unity, promoting values that foster harmony within the community. When an official of her standing resorts to language that incites violence and hatred, it undermines the very foundation of our democratic society.”

Smit warned such remarks, particularly from someone in a leadership position, could have far-reaching consequences. “Statements like these are not only inflammatory but also have the potential to incite real-world violence.

“They can contribute to an environment of fear and division, further escalating tensions within the community. The consequences of such rhetoric are far-reaching, affecting not only those targeted by the statement but also the broader public trust in the municipality's leadership.”

Smit said the DA would be reporting the matter to the police for a comprehensive investigation. The party also plans to refer the case to the Human Rights Commission, underscoring the seriousness of the situation and the need for accountability.

Meanwhile, the municipality was thrust into the spotlight last month after reports surfaced that the mayor spends more than R100,000 of taxpayers’ money monthly to rent a vehicle.

The records obtained by OFM News revealed the municipality paid R50,447.79 in May and R64,893.31 in June for the vehicle, which was rented from AVIS on a month-to-month basis.

In May, AfriForum accused the Supreme Court of Appeals in Bloemfontein of endangering the lives of both farmers and Afrikaners by ruling that the “Kill the Boer” chant wasn’t hate speech.

“Furthermore, the fact that Acting Judge of Appeal, Raylene Keightley, had not been recused from this case after it was revealed that she had expressed strong, biased opinions against AfriForum in the past, casts a shadow over this judgment,” the civil rights organisation said.

AfriForum lodged the original complaint against the EFF and its leader Julius Malema in 2020 after EFF supporters chanted “Kill the Boer, kill the farmer” outside the Senekal Magistrate’s Court where the accused in the murder of farm manager Brendin Horner were being tried.

“Recent evidence of just how dangerous this hateful chant can be came in 2023 when a couple from Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal were severely assaulted on their farm while their attackers shouted: ‘Kill the Boer, kill the farmer’,” the organisation said in response to the judgment.

‘They deserve same protections against hate speech’

AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel believed farmers (boere in Afrikaans) and Afrikaners (referred to as derogatorily as “Boers” in some quarters) deserve the same protections against hate speech as any other profession or cultural group. “If the courts are not going to protect these groups from hate speech, they will have to take their safety into their own hands.

“AfriForum has already established more than 172 neighbourhood and farm watches nationwide. In light of this judgment, AfriForum will intensify its focus on investing a large and growing amount of its resources and time into improving and expanding our community safety networks through means such as training and equipment.”

OFM News/ Kekeletso Mosebetsi dg