The Azanian People's Organisation (Azapo) has slammed the South African Human Rights Commission for its decision to take the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC) to court over its slogan, “One settler, one bullet”.
The slogan which was a rallying cry by the Azanian People's Liberation Army (APLA) - the armed wing of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) - during the struggle of the 1980s against apartheid in South Africa was never formally adopted by the PAC.
Azapo said it was shocked to learn of the decision by the SAHRC, especially since the commission is led by black people.
Azapo added that the slogan forms part of the country’s heritage of the dark past of apartheid regime.
“The SAHRC is occupied by black men and women who have experienced white racism and should be at the forefront of defending all songs and slogans that are part of the struggle heritage. There is thus no rational basis for the SAHRC to take the liberation movement to court for chanting a liberation slogan. The SAHRC must tell the nation if it was established for the purpose of defending white fragility at the expense of the dignity of black people through the return of the land and total liberation from the yoke of neo-colonialism,” Azapo said through its secretary general, Chris Swepu.
PAC spokesperson Azania Tyhali said it has been served with court papers from the Western Cape High Court after the SAHRC petitioned the courts to gag it from using the slogan.
“As the PAC, we view this court case as another situation where the master wants to silence the slave from speaking out about their suffering. When the whip is not enough as a silencing tool to the slave, law is mobilised to serve the same purpose of silencing,” Tyhali said.