Dan Roodt calls Lesufi non-‘South African’ ‘racist’

Afrikaner author, publisher and commentator Dan Roodt took to Twitter on Thursday to call out Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi on his vow that names of historical leaders, used for example in Hoërskool Hendrik Verwoerd in Tshwane, would be replaced by new ones.

Roodt accused Lesufi of making “racist statements about Afrikaans and Afrikaners”.

“What right does this racist have to remove Verwoerd’s name from anything? Lesufi is isn’t even South African! (sic),” Roodt tweeted.

In a video posted on social media earlier on Thursday, Lesufi maintained that names such as Verwoerd would continue to fall until there were no names reminding South Africans of the past.

READ MORE: WATCH: Hendrik Verwoerd, Jan Smuts will fall, vows Lesufi

The first sentence of Roodt’s tweet reads: “Verwoerd never slighted any racial or language group in South Africa; I have read all his speeches.”

#Verwoerd never slighted any racial or language group in South Africa; I have read all his speeches. Yet Lesufi makes racist statements about Afrikaans & Afrikaners. What right does this racist have to remove Verwoerd's name from anything? Lesufi is isn't even South African!

— Dan Roodt (@danroodt) August 1, 2019

Lesufi replied to Roodt’s tweet on Friday morning, tweeting he would take the author “to the cleaners”.

The MEC said Roodt would apologise to the nation for tweeting that he was “not a South African”.

Lesufi said Roodt should provide evidence to back his claims or apologise for them, concluding: “My team is ready.”

I am taking this one to the cleaners. He will apologize to nation for declaring that I am not a South African. He must proof or apologize. My team is ready https://t.co/iRg5ZBqVom

— Panyaza Lesufi (@Lesufi) August 2, 2019

(Compiled by Makhosandile Zulu)

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