He was briefing journalists ahead of his budget vote when he rubbished the EFF’s call to dump “Die Stem” as demanded by EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi.
The New Age has quoted the minister as saying: “We are in search of our identity as a nation. There is a process of healing the nation. The national anthem is in place and people like the national anthem. I don’t think any individual can divide the nation. There are some of the people who will not be comfortable in singing some of the lyrics. But we want to focus on things that unite than those that divide us.”
The minister made no reference to a recent incident in which right wing sympathiser and part time performer Steve Hofmeyr included “Die Stem” in a show at the Afrikaans Club in Australia.
Afrikaans daily Beeld reported about 400 people stood up and sang along during his 90-minute performance of Federation of Afrikaans Cultural Associations (FAK) songs, which included “Die Stem”, in Adelaide.
Hofmeyr have been criticized for recently singing the old South African national anthem at the Innibos arts festival. It is this incident that is said to have sparked the EFF outrage.
