South African white supremacist leader killed

South African President Jacob Zuma has appealed for calm after white supremacist leader Eugene Terreblanche was beaten to death by black workers on his farm. The 69-year-old head of the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (Afrikaner Resistance Movement) was killed on Saturday evening following an apparent dispute over unpaid wages.

Reuters

Terreblanche’s party has vowed to avenge the killing and AWB secretary-general Andre Visagie said they would meet on 1 May to plan their response.

“We will decide upon our actions to avenge Mr Terreblanche’s death,” he said. “We will take action and the specific action... will be decided upon at our conference.”

Zuma spoke out as opposition parties and groups expressed concern about the possible reaction to the far-right leader’s killing.

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“The President appeals for calm following this terrible deed and asks South Africans not to allow agent provocateurs to take advantage of this situation by inciting or fuelling racial hatred,” a statement said.

Terreblanche was hacked to death on his farm outside the town of Ventersdorp in the north-west of the country.

A 21-year-old and a 15-year-old who work on the farm have been charged with the murder and will appear in court on Tuesday, according to police.

Local media said Terreblanche’s body was found in his bed with facial and head injuries. His death came amid claims that he refused to pay the workers their monthly wage of 30 euros.

Terreblanche and his party had opposed South Africa’s all-race democracy and campaigned for a separate white state.