Strictly for Brown people…

(This article from Cape Argus – It seems that Bruinou.com just does’nt make the grade or we’re not Brown enough for these ouens…cos we never got invited – too bad though! 🙁 )

A new organisation aimed at uniting coloured people is adamant it does not want to launch a political party, but some commentators say it would be difficult for the body not to be regarded as one.

Weekend Argus reported that Die Bruin Belange Inisiatief (the coloured interests initiative) would host its first conference at Goudini Spa in mid-July.

Bos Willemse, one of the movement’s founders, said on Sunday that the organisation was not political but aimed at uniting coloured people.

“We will discuss brown people in terms of religion and how they fit into South Africa economically, as well as how we can address problems that brown people face, such as the high drug abuse rate and why 90 percent of convicted criminals are brown.”

Asked to define “brown” people, Willemse said they would be anyone of indigenous heritage, descendants from the Khoisan and the Griqua, among others.

“Although we are inclusively South African, we are exclusively brown,” he said, adding that membership to other ethnicities would be discussed and determined by criteria adopted at the upcoming conference.

“History shows us that politics don’t help coloureds much. We are not noticed and the efforts of struggle heroes such as Allan Boesak and Johnny Esau are not noticed … we will launch to assert ourselves in being brown.”

Former Cape Times editor and author Ryland Fisher said he agreed with their ideas but urged the group not to pretend to be something they were not.

“It will be very difficult for them not to be seen as a political group … even identifying themselves as coloured is political.

“If it does become political, questions such as who do I vote for will arise because people can’t belong to two political parties.

“I think coloured people should fight for their right to exist within the ANC by starting a coloured caucus.”

But ANC spokesperson Garth Strachan said that because the ANC encompassed the rights of all people, the party’s constitution would prohibit a caucus based on race.

The ID’s provincial secretary, Rodney Lentit, said there was a trend to establish parties months before national and provincial elections.

“It’s (normally) just about individuals seeking seats before the elections,” Lentit said.

DA leader Helen Zille said South Africa was a democracy and people could form “any legal organisation they like”.

Die Bruin Belange Inisiatief is expecting about 650 people at its conference in July.

((The original article on Cape Argus)