I write the following in my personal capacity as a white South African citizen and I am not a member of AfriForum.

This is my response to Wits University Vice-Chancellor Prof Adam Habib's reckless words in his attack on AfriForum leaders Kallie Kriel and Ernst Roets as reported by News24.

Quote Habib: "Your associations in the US prove what disgusting human beings you truly are. You are an embarrassment to SA & its constitution. Every nation has somebody who reflects its worse side. The Germans had Hitler, the Ugandans, Amin, apartheid SA, Verwoed, and current SA the two of you."

I wish to simply state to you (Habib) that your comments are disgusting, uncalled for, defamatory, unsubstantiated and reckless.
In the past I had some respect for you and regularly read your columns and agreed on many.

With your now reckless utterances, not only did you show that you are nothing but an intolerant, ignorant, hate-filled bigot yourself, but also that you by implication support the murder of white farmers.

AfriForum is the only organisation in this country that takes farm murders seriously, while the government and your type think it is some myth. Instead of AfriForum being respected and supported for their work in highlighting a very serious and heinous crime in this country, you laugh it off as if it is no problem and thus through your silence and inaction or unjustified criticism are condoning the murders.

To compare AfriForum to Hitler and Amin when all they do is highlight a serious problem where our own government does nothing about it but demonises AfriForum and farmers and white people - you have crossed the line of decency and even sanity. Let alone that an academic cannot even spell "Verwoerd" correctly.

If you cannot prove that Kriel and Roets had committed genocide as Hitler and Amin did - then your words fit the definition of libel for uttering such false accusations on a public forum. Neither are your words the truth or in the public interest. It may even fit the prerequisites for crimen injuria.

Shame on you. Hang your head in shame for your support by implication of the murders of white farmers in this country and demonising the only people who try to do something regarding it.

It is, quite frankly, disgusting and your words are that of a hate-filled bigot with less intelligence or manners or common decency than becomes your position.

I also do not fathom how turning to the USA for help where one's own country refuses to help or acknowledge the problem of white farmers being murdered - how this is an "embarrassment to our constitution" or abuse of constitutional rights?

White South Africans are supposed to be equally protected under our Constitution - this includes their dignity and their lives and their security and even their right to self-determination. It seems that you believe that white South Africans have fewer rights and are not equal before our law.

Your words also imply that you hate the USA. Everything in your words are filled with spewing hatred - and that is much more disgusting (especially in the position you hold) than anything AfriForum has ever done.

I do not see AfriForum as an embarrassment - but rather as an organisation who stands for justice and not being silenced by bigots and black racists in our country who condone the murder of white farmers or ignore the very real problem - simply due to our history and their own personal hatred of white people.

I am of the personal opinion that any academic in a high position such as yours at any of our multi-racial educational institutions, should resign following such a hate-filled and reckless, defamatory tirade. Let alone that it brings your institution into disrepute and affects its credibility.

Yours sincerely,

J Smith