21st Mar 2018, 3:51 PM – Senate Motions - South Africa - White farmers

The majority voted against this motion, which means it failed.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes:

(i) the revival of a revolutionary song "Shoot the Boer" at political rallies in South Africa,

(ii) the statement of former South African President Zuma that "We are going to shoot them with machine guns ... shoot the Boer, we are going to hit them, they are going to run",

(iii) the statement of Mr Julius Malema, a high profile member of the South African Parliament and former leader of the African National Congress Youth League, that "We are not calling for the slaughter of white people, at least for now" and more recently "the time for reconciliation is over" and "go after the white man. If you cut a white man they feel terrible pain",

(iv) that the South African Parliament recently voted in support of a motion to accelerate the expropriation of white-owned and cultivated farm land without compensation to the owners,

(v) that white farmers are reported to be five times more likely to be murdered than the general population of South Africa,

(vi) that farm attacks are often characterised by extreme brutality which includes the physical dismemberment, torture and rape of victims, and also involves the killing of children and infants in horrendous ways that suggest hate is a motivating factor, and

(vii) that there are frequent claims that authorities are not treating these farm attacks with the urgency they deserve;

(b) calls on the Government to condemn:

(i) any calls for the killing, marginalisation, persecution, victimisation and targeting of any racial group in the Republic of South Africa by any of its officials or members of parliament, and

(ii) any law that expropriates land without just compensation;

(c) calls upon the Government of the Republic of South Africa to protect the people of all races equally and without bias; and

(d) investigate what Australia can do to assist the victims of racist violence in South Africa, including the possibility of offering to resettle victims in Australia or assisting their resettlement in another appropriate jurisdiction.