Much mirth and merriment in South Africa today as footage of André Visagie, Secretary General of the AWB, storming off the set of etv news does the rounds.
Alternative video source (starts at 0:31)
These sort of funny things are always happening on SA TV. Who could forget the unfortunate “Chairman” Nhlanhla Nene incident, for example? But while Mnr Visagie is (sadly) very much a South African entity, live broadcast bloopers can happen to anyone. Even the great Nicky Campbell. Twice.
It’s another embarrassing nail in the coffin of the AWB. Not only are their views disgustingly racist and outdated, their members are a laughing stock. And, as you’ll see, their bodyguards are nervously smiling weedy teenagers. Ooh. Scary.
There’s a meme going around the SA internet at the moment: “Don’t touch me on my studio”, but having reviewed this footage time and time again, it seems to me that the presenter, Chris Maroleng, is actually continually inviting Visagie to touch him on his studio. Thus, thanks to the grainy coverage, only two questions remain: where exactly is the Chris Maroleng’s studio? And why does he want André to touch him on it on live TV?
Kinky bugger.
UPDATE: And already: The Song.
Really uncalled for… its a touchy topic but the guys must keep their cool.
Its what i would call a planned aggressive debate where the one throws question after question at the other party without giving the person a chance to answer and then right at the end says….now what do you say. Now how are you possible going to remember all the points that where brought up? It just works the person up on the other end that is trying to answer the questions……Maybe not the best way to handle this touchy topic. E-tv should have known better, personally i think they where seeking a reaction like this. And why this guy had a body gaurd on the studio i dont know…
Wayne > 6 of one…
He should have known that he would be baited and pushed.
Half a dozen of the other…
She was aiming to provoke an outburst like that. See how she smirks as he chucks his microphone away. Pathetic.
All so childish. These are supposed to be adults, FFS.
Just watched it – agreed that she was baiting him. While I’ve got no respect for the AWB, its policies or its members, journo’s have a job to do, and she wasn’t doing hers.
Is it true that black men have bigger studios?
Jacques > Is right.
TR > I couldn’t say without thorough research and I assure you, I’m not the man for that job.
Just a correction Jacques, the woman was a fellow interviewee,the other guy was the Journo
Sammy > In that case, political analysts have their job to do and she CERTAINLY wasn’t doing hers.
Schoolgirl stuff.
Thanks Sammy – was difficult to tell from the short clip. To modify my point, then: what 6000 said. She doesn’t do her side of the argument any favours by resorting to belligerence and ceding the high-ground.
These types of interviews serve to stimulate and mediate intellectual talk -did anyone detect anything resembling this portrayed by Mnr Visagie? – and this is the Secretary General of the AWB: ridiculous!
The above commentators, like Mnr Visagie, continue to lambase Lebogang… I have watched a lot of other interviews with Lebogang as one of the guests; an intensifying interview is not motivation for the behaviour displayed by the AWB leader.
Get that chip off your shoulder and read, Madi. All of the commentators (so far, except for TR’s joke) have apportioned blame to both parties.
Madi > 100% agree with your comments regarding Visagie. As I said, his behaviour was childish.
At the same time, so was hers. In order to “stimulate and mediate intellectual talk”, interviews have to be two way; she never let him get a word in edgeways and then smirked as he stormed off. Utterly pathetic.
What South Africa is crying out for is someone – anyone – in the public eye to display a bit of maturity and sense. Zuma isn’t showing any leadership, Malema is a buffoon, Visagie is a petulent schoolboy and now even the political commentators are behaving like children.
Since the events of Sunday, I’ve heard sense from Pieter Steyn – AWB spokesman – and from Mosiuoa Lekota. Everyone else is using this to further their own political agendas and it is a huge turn-off.
Everyone is on the edge, race relations are fragile. We should respect each other and try to be more sensitive. If she really wanted to have a discussion, she should have given him time to answer. She should have taken his willingness to come and have a discussion as a sign that there is room for discussion. Doesn’t living in a democracy mean that you can express your view? I am dissappointed in Etv and that woman sitting there all innocent doesn’t fool me at all – You are an irresponsible “political analyst?” that is just looking for sensation. You wanted to be the one that put a white man in his place. But all you did was waste an opportunity to do something constructive. You should be ashamed. The man is still grieving (albeit for a racist pig) and you poke, poke, poke and expect him to just accept it? I would have b*tchslapped you.
We can sit and debate who was wrong, and who did what for ever. But the sad fact is that this is a very real representation of what is happening in SA at the moment. The country is more divided than it has been in a long time. Fools like Malema only contributing to it. And how is the AWB different to people like Malema saying “The courts are being used the further the political interests of a minority people.” Whilst singing kill the farmer kill the Boer? i guarantee he doesn’t mean farmers who are not white. I am not saying they are right, either of them. But before you help to put nails into the AWB coffin, take a close look at the rest of the players. And try living in this climate. I live on a farm.
O > As I have tried to say throughout this thread – no-one has come out of this looking anything less than juvenile and foolish. Visagie was hot-headed, Pheko was overly pushy and Maroleng (albeit that he has come out with one of the quotes of 2010) showed that he had absolutely no control over his guests.
Alexa > I see where you are coming from, but a couple of points.
I have never suggested that what Julius Malema is doing currently is in anyway helpful (see my comment here: http://synapses.co.za/boer-is-dead/#comment-335), but I disagree that the country is necessarily more divided than recently. While these events are sad and potentially concerning, they also bring out the positive in the nation. Those who hadn’t spoken out before are speaking out. While the people who choose to take sides may be further apart, there are suddenly a lot of people voicing their unity as well.
Finally – it’s not me putting nails in the AWB coffin – they’re doing that themselves. They represent a tiny, tiny proportion of people in this country and they would do well to remember that.
2 words: AMATEUR HOUR
Lawrence > Dude, it’s ALWAYS amateur hour on this blog.
Just saw the full interview this morning… The questions were simply a response to what the Visagie guy had said. It was actually the woman simply being tired of hearing comments that totally disregarded sense. “Touch me on my studio”, I’ll never stop cracking up at that one.
What is crazy is that the man that is shouting “Touch me on my studio” was the one that grabbed the Mr Visagies arm first. lol.
When reviewing this debate im not sure what they where wanting to achieve. The AWB wants to be seperate from the rest of SA because they feel they have different Heritage, Culture, Religion and believes….no matter how much you debate it its not going to change their view points. I do think they are a bit crazy as everyone in south africa is from has diffirent Heritage, Culture, Religion and believes…thats why its a rainbow nation. Just imagine if each culture wanted his own “state” inside south africa.
I hear that Mr.Visagie also went on TV without the knowing of the current leader of the AWB…Sounds like Mr Visagie might be out of line here…How can you officially speak for a group if the leaders of the group does not even known about it?
I still think E-TV should have been prepared for this type of reaction…
Holy Christ! Did that really happen on South African TV…
I wish South Africa Politics the best..May it get better then. This was indeed too much.
.-= Meghashyam C´s last blog ..AFEX! =-.
I heard all the jokes and cracked up. But when I watched it I felt quite emotionally ill. I remember the insanity of arguments like that with a close family member (male, afrikaans, v conservative and rascist). What I remember most is that childish volatility and barely repressed explosiveness. It is deeply ingrained patriarchal prejudice at its finest.
However if looked at from a feminist perspective, even the male journo defending the ‘poor’ (helpless- my own interpretation) woman shows how much work there is to be done in relating across prejudice. Mr Visagie’s tone of voice was deeply disrespectful of her. He threatened her as only a man who believes that women and children are intrinsically beneath him can. The pointing finger, the standing up and leaning over; all intended to show who is boss. “I’m not finished with you.” What a thing to say! Did anyone notice how his tone of voice improves comparatively when speaking to a the male journo near the end? Shocking but sickeningly familiar. Hopefully seeing it on TV like that will help people to question what is a daily experience of south african culture for some of us.
Please note that my lack of comment on her/ his/ their professionalism etc is not approval of anyone involved- the woman included. Its lack of space/time to make my point. I just hoped to contribute a perspective on the violent tone and content of behaviour between male and female that this example shows. And this is on national TV no less- what happens in people’s homes? Do you think anyone would have restrained themselves?
The major > I repeat: they were as bad as each other. The smirk gave her away.
Wayne > Interesting point. What were they trying to achieve? Certainly, they got far more publicity from the way things turned out than just a memorandum of agreement to disagree.
Meghashyam C > It did. Ever so exciting, isn’t it?
cathwrynn> I’m not sure I agree. Yes, his behaviour was obnoxious, abusive and uncalled for, but in Mr Visagie’s defence (did I really just write that?), I think he’s probably being more aggressive to Pheko because she was the one who pissed him off, rather than any deep-seated anger towards the female of the species. No?
Very Unprofessional behavior by the TV Presenters. This has nothing to do with AVB either whom I’m totally against. I never heard any “threats” – The TV Prestenter “touched’ the AVB Spokesperson. Train the Staff properly – The Studio Management are at fault for placing such poorly trained staff on such an emotive issue. Havn’t we learned yet that the Right Wing have short fuses and don’t take nonsense from anyone, especially anyone outside their own kind. The question ” do you care about the starving blacks and farm workers who are being oppressed in this country? – who cares? – Very few care if any – You go out and take your money and time and go and feed and clothe them and visit them in prisons and visit them in the frail care or hospitals? – then I’ll believe you. Until then -you are just talking a whole pile of junk like the rest of South Africans. Watch someones life closely – see how much they give and to what, and then you’ll also know who’s just talking and who’s for real.