Mngxitama refuses to apologise over controversial farmer attack remarks

uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party MP Andile Mngxitama has refused to apologise for his controversial remarks following the brutal attack on a North West farmer, insisting that his comments were taken out of context.

Mngxitama is facing backlash from political parties, including the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) and Democratic Alliance (DA), which have indicated their intention to report him to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and Parliament’s ethics committee.

However, the MP remains unapologetic, arguing that his comments were intended to highlight what he describes as the lack of attention given to violence and abuse against black farmworkers.

Speaking to IOL, Mngxitama said his remarks were not meant to dismiss or justify the attack on the farmer.

“I won’t apologise for something that they chose to take out of context. They have a selective outrage to crime in this country, and that’s what they must explain instead. Our black farmworkers are facing daily abuse, yet there’s no outrage and no justice,” he said.

He added that his reference to the farmer’s ears was intended as a metaphor about listening to the concerns of black farmworkers and unresolved land ownership issues.

“When I said ears are symbolic for listening, I did not take away the horrible crime against the farmer, which we condemn. I meant it metaphorically that we need to listen to the cries of black farmworkers too, and the issue around land ownership, which remains unresolved,” Mngxitama told the publication.

Controversial post sparks political backlash

The controversy follows an attack in which a North West farmer’s ears were reportedly severed.

Hours after the incident, Mngxitama posted on social media: “attacking the ears is symbolic to denote the refusal of land thieves to listen.”

He later deleted the post, but it had already circulated widely online, prompting criticism from political parties and members of the public.

The FF Plus and DA subsequently announced plans to report the MP to the SAHRC and Parliament’s ethics committee over the remarks.

Mngxitama accuses parties of selective outrage

Mngxitama has accused his critics of focusing on the attack on the farmer while, in his view, failing to show the same concern for violence against black farmworkers.

He referred to a separate case in which two farmworkers were killed and their bodies allegedly fed to pigs by a white farmer, arguing that justice in that matter had not been adequately addressed.

“Why are they not addressing the abuse of farmworkers? Have we forgotten how two farmworkers were killed and their bodies fed to pigs by a white farmer? We are still waiting for justice to be served,” he said.

Mngxitama further accused political opponents of politicising the farmer attack rather than addressing broader concerns about farmworker safety.

FF Plus rejects Mngxitama’s explanation

FF Plus chief whip Heloise Denner dismissed Mngxitama’s claim that his remarks had been taken out of context.

“There is absolutely no context that can justify Andile Mngxitama’s statement. His claim that his words were taken out of context is a pathetic and desperate deflection,” Denner told IOL.

She argued that, as a Member of Parliament, Mngxitama had a responsibility to uphold the Constitution and protect the interests of all South Africans.

Denner also rejected his attempt to frame the remarks as a call to address farmworker abuse, describing them as unacceptable and saying context could not justify what she characterised as hate speech or the justification of torture.

The dispute has placed Mngxitama’s comments under further scrutiny, with political parties seeking formal action over the post.

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Source: iol.co.za