'Jewish money' controls U.S.: African diplomat

Johannesburg - South Africa’s deputy foreign minister has been taken before the national human rights body for allegedly saying that "Jewish money" controls the United States, officials said Thursday.

Fatima Hajaig allegedly told a political rally two weeks ago in Johannesburg that Jews "control America, no matter which government comes into power, whether Republican or Democratic, whether Barack Obama or George Bush."

"Their control of America, just like the control of most western countries, is in the hands of Jewish money," she allegedly said.

Outraged by the remarks, the South African Jewish Board of Deputies — a civil rights group — said it filed a complaint Wednesday against Hajaig at the human rights commission.

"We submitted yesterday our formal complaint on the minister’s outrageous statement to the South African Human Rights Commission," the head of the group, Zev Krengel, told AFP.

"That minister’s statement is incorrect, inflammatory and outrageous. We feel in our young democracy and in the 21st century, we should learn to respect each other and refrain from such anti-Semitic statements," Krengel said.

The rights commission’s spokesman Vincent Moaga confirmed that the body had received the complaint, but could not give a timeline for processing it.

Foreign affairs spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa declined to give details on the case, but told AFP that the South African government "has committed itself to fighting against all forms of racism, in all their ramifications, including anti-Semitism."