The daughter of Sagadava "Manna" Naidoo, Velash Lombaard, has spoken out about the use of her father's name in the Lex Libertas' Washington campaign. The campaign, which featured 3,000 white crosses on the National Mall in Washington DC, aimed to highlight farm murders and push for self-governance in South Africa. Lombaard stated that her family was not consulted before her father's name was used in the campaign.
According to Lombaard, her father was killed during a violent attack on his farm in Canelands in May 2022. Three suspects were later arrested and charged. While she acknowledges that her father's death was a tragedy, she believes that his life and legacy should be remembered in their full context. Lombaard expressed concern that her father's name is being used to support narratives that he never had the opportunity to endorse or reject himself.
The display has drawn widespread criticism for apparently distorting the reality of crime in South Africa and wrongly suggesting that white South Africans are being systematically targeted. Lex Libertas has also linked the campaign to its call for international support for decentralisation and self-governance in South Africa. The organisation's petition calls on the US to appoint a special envoy to Afrikaners and other cultural minorities and to recognise self-governance as a legitimate pursuit.
Lex Libertas researcher Misha-Lamé Gericke explained that the organisation did not require Naidoo's family's permission to use his name. Gericke stated that the organisation used the definition contained in the 2019 National Rural Safety Strategy, which defines a farm murder as a killing that occurs during an attack on a rural location, including agricultural properties. Naidoo's name was included because his death met this definition.
Gericke also stated that the race, ethnicity or religion of a victim did not disqualify them from inclusion in the campaign. She added that the Indian community, which is also a minority community in South Africa, has lost too many of its own members to brutal and violent farm attacks. The inclusion of Naidoo's name is therefore not based on his race, ethnicity or religion, but on the circumstances of his murder.
Naidoo, 74, was shot in the head on May 24, 2022, and his body was found next to railway tracks metres from his home. The accused, Sibongiseni Langa, 30, Clement Nkwanyana, 28, and Ignatius Chihoho, 47, were arrested and convicted of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances. Lombaard has not reached out to Lex Libertas to remove her father's name from its campaign, but rather seeks to ensure that his life and death are represented respectfully and accurately.
Lombaard emphasised that her father's life was shaped by public service and his commitment to the people of South Africa. She believes that any discussion involving his legacy should recognise the values he stood for and the broader context of South Africa's history.
Key points
- Naidoo's family was not consulted before his name was used in the Lex Libertas' Washington campaign.
- The campaign has drawn widespread criticism for apparently distorting the reality of crime in South Africa.
- Lex Libertas did not require Naidoo's family's permission to use his name, citing the difficulty of obtaining permission from every family.
