Monday, December 12, 2011

And This Comes From A Black Man



He has been called a traitor and says he has received death threats from black people because of his extraordinary beliefs.

But Piet Dlamini, a gardener from KwaZulu-Natal, says his loyalties will always lie with the white supremacist group, the AWB.

In an interview with the Daily News on Tuesday, in Vryheid, Dlamini, 34, poured his heart out about his unique association with the AWB.

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At an early age, Dlamini displayed a unique love for Afrikaans. Photo: Daily News
Daily News

"Black people are usually shocked and angry when they see me. They ask me what's wrong with me, and others even threaten to kill me, but I don't care about them. They can't change me and my beliefs," he said proudly.

Dlamini, from Mvunyane village, near Vryheid, grew up on a farm in Piet Retief and attended local Zulu schools. At an early age, he displayed a unique love for Afrikaans.

"I must have been in Grade 4 or 5 when I started taking an interest in the language. When I was in high school I was already fluent in Afrikaans. I love this language, I will speak it until I die," he said.

Dlamini said he first took an interest in Terre'Blanche and the AWB 10 years ago. He now refers to Terre'Blanche as his leader and father.

Dlamini had read about Terre'Blanche in newspapers but when he saw him riding his black horse on television, he just knew he had to meet him.

"The more I read about him, the more I was drawn towards him. He was a farmer, he knew who he was, and I like people that know who they are and what they stand for," he said.

Dlamini said the AWB's policies do not deter him, even though the organisation has yet to admit him as a member.

"I didn't care about Eugene's behaviour; all I cared about was that he could help the country become better. And besides, when I met him he had changed," he said, referring to his first meeting with Terre'Blanche, in 2008.

Terre'Blanche had visited Vryheid to revive the AWB, and Dlamini knew this was his chance to meet his idol.

Dlamini waited patiently to get a glimpse of his leader outside the hall but Terre'Blanche invited him inside, allowing him to sit in on the meeting.

"He never isolated me during the meeting, he was kind. He greeted me and shook my hand. He spoke to me softly. It felt good to finally meet him. I thanked God because I never thought I would meet him," recalled Dlamini.

Before the interview Dlamini, dressed in an AWB camouflage uniform, made it clear he would be speaking his "leader's language".

"It's not that I don't like Zulu, I just prefer to speak Afrikaans. It's my language of choice," he explained.

Speaking about Terre'-Blanche's murder and funeral, Dlamini said he would have loved to attend the funeral, but couldn't afford the trip.

But he hopes the murder suspects will be dealt with harshly.

"Those two should get life imprisonment. In fact, if it was still PW Botha's government, they would have got the death penalty, but this government doesn't care about anyone except themselves.

"It has become acceptable for people to kill each other. If the country was being governed by the AWB none of this would be happening. We would have a crime-free, well-run country."

His eyes, however light up when I ask him about his 21-month-old son Wiseman and his girlfriend Lungile Khoza.

Dlamini said he was disappointed when Khoza refused to let him name their son after Terre'Blanche.

"It doesn't matter though because I will teach my son both English and Afrikaans and I will tell him all about Terre'Blanche. I will tell him about what a great man and leader he was," he said.