Jews endorse the redress of apartheid injustices
JOBURG – Jewish community to work with the government to better South Africa for all.
The Jewish community has given its approval to President Cyril Ramaphosa to go ahead with the burning issue of addressing the ‘disgusting imbalances of our apartheid past’.
The endorsement came from the chairperson of the Gauteng Council of the SA Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) Marc Pozniak during his address at the Jewish annual conference held at The Galleria in Kramerville.
“We note the noble desires of the government to finally address the disgusting injustices of our apartheid past, 25 years later,” he said. “Jews have a moral responsibility to contribute more than they consume and to help develop this country.
“We offer the unstinting commitment of the Jewish community to assist whenever they can in your strides Mr President to re-path this country in the direction of development, peace, stability and economic advancement.”
He condemned recent racist statements from some quarters, saying ‘such utterances only serve to poison our unity and harmony in diversity within the sections of our country’.
“This does not mean we don’t need to redress the imbalances of the past. I urge the Jews to reject racism and do more to teach our children the right things. What we teach our children about other races is what will define us as a community. We will work hard to make South Africa a beautiful country for all its people.”
Also speaking was Shaun Zagnoev, the national chairperson of the SAJBD. “You [Ramaphosa] can rely on the SA Jewry to build the kind of nation as envisaged by former President Nelson Mandela,” he said.
“And you have, Mr President, already taken the lead in the right direction.”
In reply, Ramaphosa assured the Jewish community that his government was ready to work with them to take this country forward and also draw from their strength of standing together against adversity and antisemitism.
“It pains me to see Afrikaans and African young people, including those from the Jewish community, deciding to go and start a new life and future elsewhere,” said Ramaphosa.
“We have invested so much in them and hence the need to deepen their patriotism to allow them to choose to remain in SA and build a great nation.”
