Sideliner Opinions

Dear Rebecca Davis (@becsplanb), I watched your video on the Daily Maverick's YouTube channel. The one in which you spend 15 minutes circling around the idea that Lex Libertas has links to crazy right wing groups from the 1980s and 1990s without ever asserting it. It reminded me of the MSNBC stories suggesting that Donald Trump must be a Nazi, because he spoke at Madison Square Garden, and there were Nazis at Madison Square Garden in 1939. You should know that I genuinely burst out laughing when I heard you say that when we say that there is wisdom to be found in the past, even though the past is not a destination, it's (according to you) impossible to interpret that in any other way as an endorsement of apartheid. You then make it clear that your viewers should consider me as a racist despite the fact that (as you concede very explicitly) there is no evidence of any racism. I suppose you never considered just how shallow that type of reasoning is. It comes across as particularly desperate to make a political point in the absence of evidence. You reached out to me directly on October 8, asking if I'd be willing to agree to an interview. I agreed, and suggested dates, but you never responded. And so you continued with this skit without asking for comment and without reporting on the other side of the story. That's perfectly predictable behaviour for a political activist, but extremely unprofessional for a journalist.

MEDIA STATEMENT | Lex Libertas Calls on Ramaphosa to Condemn Farm Attacks and Engage Civil Society on Rural Safety PRETORIA – Lex Libertas has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to publicly condemn the brutal attack on North West farmer Donovan Marx and to engage civil society organisations on a more decentralised approach to combating farm attacks. Marx was shot, stabbed and severely mutilated during an attack on his farm between Potchefstroom and Ventersdorp on 28 October 2026. In the letter, Lex Libertas points out that President Ramaphosa has previously condemned particularly brutal incidents of violent crime, including the recent killings of women in Ekurhuleni, and calls on him to respond similarly to the attack on Marx. ‘The President has rightly spoken out against other incidents of brutal violence. We believe the victims of farm attacks deserve the same recognition and commitment to justice,’ said Dr Ernst Roets, Executive Director of Lex Libertas. The organisation further calls on the President to facilitate engagement between government and civil society organisations on practical measures to improve rural safety. Lex Libertas argues that the particular challenges associated with farm attacks, including the isolation of rural communities and delays in emergency response, require greater decentralisation and cooperation between the police, agricultural organisations and local communities. ‘It is not enough to declare farm attacks a priority crime. A declaration to that effect would be nothing more than an administrative formality. What matters is whether practical measures are taken to prevent these attacks and bring perpetrators to justice,’ Roets said. ‘Local communities have knowledge, resources and capabilities that should be incorporated into efforts to combat farm attacks. We believe there is considerable scope for a more decentralised approach to rural safety.’ The organisation has offered to engage with the Presidency and relevant government departments on practical solutions.