Ernst Roets
Ernst Roets is a political activist, writer and filmmaker in South Africa. He is Deputy CEO of the civil rights organisation AfriForum and the CEO of the film production company Forum Films.
Education
Roets grew up in the agricultural town of Tzaneen where he matriculated in 2003 from the Merensky High School. He obtained his LLB degree in 2009 from the University of Pretoria (UP). During his student years he served in various leadership structures, including the Student Representative Council (SRC) and the Senate, at this university.
During his student years Roets served as founding member and the first National Chairperson of Solidarity Youth. In 2008 Solidarity Youth changed its name and the organisation was converted to AfriForum Youth. In 2016, Roets obtained his LLM degree in Public Law with distinction from the UP. The title of his dissertation was ’n Peiling van die middele kragtens die Suid-Afrikaanse Grondwet, ter afdwinging van die basiese regte van minderheidsgemeenskappe.[1]
Career
Roets was arrested in 2010 after he attempted to install a billboard with the words “Welcome to Pretoria” next to the N1 highway. This action was in protest against the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality’s use of the word “Tshwane” to refer to the capital during the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup, while the city’s name is in fact Pretoria[2].
In 2011 Roets was appointed as Deputy CEO of AfriForum. He testified on behalf of AfriForum in 2011 in the case of AfriForum vs. Malema. On behalf of AfriForum he submitted a charge of hate speech against Julius Malema after Malema sang the song “Dubula I’Bhunu” (Shoot the Boer) at various political gatherings[3]. The court found Malema guilty of hate speech[4].
Roets addressed various conferences of the United Nations (UN), especially on farm murders and the state of minority rights in South Africa. In 2015, at the UN’s offices in Genève, he reacted sharply to an accusation by the South African government that those who are asking for the prioritisation of farm murders only did so because they were steering a racial agenda and wanted to bring back apartheid[5]. In the same year Roets submitted a complaint of discrimination against the South African government with the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders after the South African government politically interfered at the UN to prevent AfriForum from registering as a non-government organisation at the UN[6].
Farm murders
Since 2012 Roets has led AfriForum's campaign to raise awareness about farm attacks.
Tainted Heroes
Tainted Heroes is a South African documentary film that was produced by Forum Films under direction of Elrich Yssel, with Roets and Beatrice Pretorius as producers. The film is about the violent battle of the African National Congress (ANC) against apartheid in South Africa between 1976 and 1994[7]. The documentary is based on the book People’s War: New Light on the Struggle for South Africa[8] by Anthea Jeffery.
Max du Preez described the film as “crude” and “reckless”, but afterwards admitted that he hasn’t seen the film yet. The journalist Pieter du Toit said that Roets played with fire. Even though the ANC did not want to comment on the contents of the film, the party characterised it as propaganda.[9].
Kill the Boer-book
Roets is the author of the book Kill the Boer that was published in June 2018. Kill the Boer is about farm attacks in South Africa. In the book Roets argues that the South African government, due to a number of reasons, is complicit in the attacks. He characterises the events as ethnic cleansing.[10]
References
- ↑ Roets, Ernst (2016). "'n Peiling van die middele kragtens die Suid-Afrikaanse Grondwet, ter afdwinging van die basiese regte van minderheidsgemeenskappe".
- ↑ "3 held for violating ad by-law". News24. 2010-07-09. Archived from the original on 2018-12-04.CS1 maint: Unfit url (link)
- ↑ "Afriforum takes Malema to Equality Court". News24. 11 March 2010.
- ↑ "Afri-Forum and Another v Malema and Others (20968/2010) [2011] ZAEQC 2; 2011 (6) SA 240 (EqC); [2011] 4 All SA 293 (EqC); 2011 (12) BCLR 1289 (EqC) (12 September 2011)". South Africa: Equality Court. 12 September 2011.
- ↑ AfriForum (2015-11-25), AfriForum kap regering by VN, retrieved 2018-09-25
- ↑ "DIRCO guns for AfriForum at UN - Ernst Roets - POLITICS | Politicsweb". politicsweb.co.za. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
- ↑ "Tainted Heroes". taintedheroes.co.za. Archived from the original on 2018-08-11. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
- ↑ Jonathan, Ball. "People's War: New Light on the Struggle for South Africa". SAIRR (South African Institute of Race Relations).
- ↑ "ANC scoffs at 'propaganda' film claims | IOL News". Retrieved 2018-09-25.
- ↑ "Home - Kill the Boer Book". Kill the Boer Book. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
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