Wiekus Kotze is a South African Afrikaner who is now a member of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), which is a very unusual sight, since there are almost no whites in that party. Since he joined, he's been well received among EFF supporters, but has had a lot of opposition from his fellow Africaners. For example, on social media, he's been called an idiot, a fool, and even a traitor who is betraying his white skin (all to which he strongly disagrees, responding that those people suffer from a Verwoerd mentality, have detached themselves from normal society and now want someone to blame). He's even received death threats, so his twitter account has been suspended. Kotze was born into a Afrikaner family, but his parents raised him to not see colour. Now, he's been married twice, both to black women, and has two children with his first wife, sharing them in a friendly way with her. He was an African National Congress (ANC) member for the last sixteen years, and has only recently changed to supporting the EFF. He believes that white people left a mess in South Africa, only benefiting a minority that excluded the majority of the population, and that the ideas and plans of the EFF are viable, like nationalisation for parts of the economy that aren't working well, and improving economic conditions for the poor, whites and blacks alike.
It seems that the author of this article supported the beliefs and actions of Kotze, and may even have been trying to change the opinions of some Afrikaners. If that was the case, then I'd be very happy, because I think this is a great step for South Africa (even if it's a small one). I strongly agree with Mr. Kotze's views, especially that the EFF isn't just about race or ethnicity (though it may seem that way). This is a really healthy view, since all people are equal, and if people can't get past their prejudices, then that will get in the way of helping a lot of people who are in need. I also think that it's great this is a popular story on a South African website, showing that people are changing their opinions (hopefully). This article is significant because it yet again presents why race shouldn't matter, but also stresses that we can only move forward in the world if we move past old (and often incorrect) ideas and stay in the present time.
Source: http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/afrikaner-is-ready-to-fight-for-malema-1.1633268#.Ut3f2Pbnbzt
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