74% of White SA’s Agree with Huntley; ANC & Liberals Deliberate Malicious Indifference Legitimize Huntley’s ‘White Refugee’ status

Between 30 and 40 newspaper clippings were presented as evidence of life in South Africa. “One article exhibited was published in [the Daily Sun in 2004] by Africa Ka Mahamba. [It was] entitled ‘Taking from whites is not a crime’,” Kaplan said. The article quotes the leader of the “Uhuru cultural club” as telling youngsters who attended a Human Rights Day celebration to steal from whites because “it is the right thing to do”. [IRB Ruling: MA8-04910: Brandon Huntley]

In Race, Class & Violent Crime in South Africa: Dispelling the ‘Huntley Thesis’, Nathan Geffen (TAC) and Gavin Silber (Social Justice Coalition), both of UCT state, among others:

Brandon Huntley was granted asylum in Canada earlier this year based on the argument that whites are disproportionately affected by crime in South Africa. The decision was generally condemned, but it did receive support from various groups and individuals including Afriforum, the Freedom Front and James Myburgh (editor of Politicsweb). In this article we show the flaws in Huntley's argument by presenting evidence from several sources that demonstrate that black and poor people are disproportionately the victims of violent crime in South Africa.

This post is only going to focus on the following statements made by Geffen and Silber:

(a) Was the Huntley ruling 'generally condemned' by white South Africans; i.e. Did the majority of white South Africans concerned about the issue, condemn Huntley's subjective and objective persecution experience as untrue?


(b) How the available statistics about those who support Huntley's thesis affect his White Refugee claim; and


(c) Whether the ANC's response to Huntley and South Africa's 'White Refugees' Persecution concerns, legitimized or refuted Huntleys White Refugee claims.

In subsequent posts, I shall provide other perspectives to confirm Huntley's Thesis as subjectively and objective accurate; and Geffen and Silber's as, among others, founded on disproven theories about the root causes of crime and criminality, etc.

74% of White SA’s Agree with Huntley; ANC & Liberals Deliberate Malicious Indifference Legitimize Huntley’s ‘White Refugee’ status

Lara Johnstone | White Refugees | 21 January 2010

Minister of Safety & Security: Mr. Charles Ngcakula's Parliamentary Response to White South Africans Upset About Crime and Corruption in South Africa: ‘If You Don't Like the Crime in South Africa... LEAVE THE COUNTRY!.’ - White Refugees Petition to Fed. Crt. Justices, Canada

Brief Overview: Is IRB's Huntley Ruling justified in terms of UNHCR Refugee criteria?

Brandon Huntley was granted Refugee Status by the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board, in accordance with UNHCR refugee criteria (PDF), whereby

“a person who owing to a well founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who is, … owing to such fear, … unwilling to return to it.”

It can accordingly be inferred that Huntley was granted refugee status because the evidence Huntley submitted to the IRB, was sufficient to prove to the IRB that Brandon Carl Huntley subjectively and objectively felt that: (a) he was being persecuted in South Africa for reasons of race/membership of a particular ethnic group; (b) the South African government were deliberately and/or maliciously indifferent to his safety and security and/or unable or unwilling to protect him.

Was the IRB’s Ruling Justified?

1. Do other white South Africans feel that they are being persecuted in South Africa for reasons of their race/membership of a particular ethnic group?

2. Is the South African Government unwilling or unable to acknowledge that this group of South Africans feel the way that they do?

White South African’s Feelings of Persecution: Media Surveys: 74% Agree with Huntley

Beeld Newspaper (1 September 2009):

“Is Canada correct in granting a White South African refugee status?” 

1. Yes (83%) (5869 votes)
2. No (4%) (261 votes)
3. All races suffer under crime (13%) (924 votes)

Die Burger Newspaper (1 September 2009):

“A White South African was granted refugee status after Canada’s immigration board found that the South African government could not properly protect White South Africans from persecution. What do you think?” 

1. Preposterous - Everyone is a victim of crime, poor people in townships even more so (15%) (515 votes) 

2. It is true that the government cannot control crime, but unnecessary to stereotype Black people. (23%) (789 votes) 

3. Kanada here I come! (62%) (2131 votes)

Independent Online Survey (02 September 2009):

A South African man has been granted refugee status in Canada, where an immigration board found “clear and convincing proof” he was persecuted for being white. 

IOL asked its readers: Is applying for foreign citizenship on racial grounds justified? Most IOL readers thought there was nothing wrong with applying for foreign citizenship on racial grounds. 

1. Yes (65%) (691 votes) 

2. No (35%) (373 votes)

Rapport Newspaper (2 September 2009):

“Are there grounds to grant White South Africans asylum in foreign countries (due to crime)?”  

1. It is hogwash-White and Blacks are equally affected by crime (13%)(761 votes) 

2. Whites are a preferred target (87%)(5266 votes)

What percentage of white South Africans feel that they are being persecuted in South Africa for reasons of their race/membership of a particular ethnic group?

• IOL: 65%
  
• Rapport: 87%
  
• Beeld: 83%
  
• Burger: 62%
  
• Average: 74%

Conclusion: Seventy Four Percent of white South Africans feel --- exactly the same way Huntley does -- that they are being persecuted in South Africa for reasons of their race/membership of a particular ethnic group! 

Is the South African Government unwilling or unable to acknowledge that Huntley and White South Africans feel persecuted? 

So Brandon Huntley and 74% of his fellow white South Africans fit the UNHCR white refugee criteria, by their experience of subjective feelings of being persecuted for being white. What is the SA Goverments ability or willingness to respond to these feelings of persecution?. 

How does the South African Government respond to this information?:

• Did the South African Government request Huntley provide them with the information about his persecution grievances, so they can make an impartial enquiry and if so required rectify the matter?
  
  
• Did the South African Government express the ability to show sincere concern for the reality that 74% of one of its minority groups feels persecuted in South Africa for reasons of their race; by suggesting an Impartial Tribunal or Board of Enquiry be established to hear their grievances?

SA in Talks with Canada over White Refugee, IOL, September 3, 2009

South African government officials have slammed the Huntley decision as racist and said it would have been courteous for Canadian officials to have consulted them first.

Canada's white refugee ruling racist: S. Africa", Reuters, September 1, 2009

“The African National Congress (ANC) views the granting by Canada of a refugee status to South African citizen Brandon Huntley on the grounds that Africans would ‘persecute' him, as racist,' the party said in a statement. ‘We find the claim by Huntley to have been attacked seven times by Africans due to his skin colour without any police intervention sensationalist and alarming. Canada's reasoning for granting Huntley a refugee status can only serve to perpetuate racism.'

High Publicity haunting Huntley, the refugee immigrant, Canada Updates

Buckling under immense pressure, not witnessed in recent history, the Canadian government has decided to go court to appeal against the controversial decision to grant refugee status to a white South African who claimed to be a victim of racist attacks at home. It seems that people in general, across the boundaries of nations, are not prepared to accept that a white man too can be victim on the basis of his skin color.

Refugee claim ‘shocks' South African diplomat, National Post, September 3, 2009

“South Africa's top diplomat in Canada says he’s ‘shocked out of his wits’ a white South African claiming persecution because of his skin colour has won refugee status in this country. He says the ruling, if left to stand, could seriously damage relations between the two countries. 

Abraham Sokhaya Nkomo, South Africa’s high commissioner to Canada, dismissed as ‘outrageous' Brandon Huntley's contention his life would be in danger because of his skin colour if he returned to South Africa. 

In an interview yesterday, Mr. Nkomo vowed to pursue every avenue to get the Harper government to appeal the ruling - made last week by a one-man refugee board- to the Federal Court. ... Mr. Nkomo said he had already met with officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and international Trade and is seeking a meeting with Immigration Minister Jason Kenney in a bid to get the ruling appealed. “We will pursue all avenues,” Mr. Nkomo said.

Is it possible that the South African goverments response of unwillingness to enquire into the details of Huntley’s grievances; lack of concern for Huntley’s feelings of persecution; hostility to Huntley and the IRB’s decision, diplomatic coercion to pressure the Canadian Government to appeal and overturn the IRB’s ruling; legitimize the IRB’s ruling that granted Huntley ‘white refugee’ status?

Does the South African Goverment exclusively target white South Africans, to deny them White Refugee Status? 

Over six hundred and four South Africans are refugees in foreign countries (PDF)(170 in Germany, 111 in USA, 46 in Ireland, 33 in Canada, 24 in the UK, 18 in France and 15 in Australia), because they have a well founded fear of being persecuted in South Africa, for reasons of race, religion, nationality or membership of a particular social group or political opinion. 

The South African goverment did not disagree, in the slightest, that such persecution existed in South Africa, and that the South African goverment was indifferent to their safety and security concerns. 

Are white South Africans the only group of people in South Africa who are not allowed to feel persecuted, based upon their race? 

Is any citizen of any race, religion, nationality or social group or political opinion, in South Africa allowed to feel persecuted for such reasons, except white South Africans? 

Does selecting white South Africans, as the one and only select group of citizens, who are denied the right to feel persecuted, not indicate the plausibility that the South African Goverment has no objections to any citizen claiming persecution as a refugee; except for one, and one only, particular group of people who are unequivocally denied the right to claim persecution? Is the South African goverments denial to one select group of citizens, of white refugee status, not an additional form of persecution?