Jan. 17, 2016
Resurgence of Hate Speech Rebuked on Anniversary of South Africa's ANC
Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from Global Information Network
(TriceEdneyWire.com) – President Jacob Zuma delivered the annual January 8 address marking the birth of the African National Congress movement launched in 1912.
Speaking at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg, he opened with some ANC history. “We are celebrating that which brings us together as South Africans – the ANC and its undying commitment to this country and its people.. The ANC has worked hard to earn its special place in the hearts of South Africans.
“Since 1912, it has worked consistently to rid South Africa of colonialism, oppression, apartheid, racism, tribalism and sexism.”
But the clock seemed to have stopped on racism, judging by the proliferation of recent comments and behaviors characterized as racist. During the week, several prominent South Africans were punished for perceived racist outbursts, with celebrity DJ Gareth Cliff being booted off the Idols South Africa judging panel and Standard Bank economist Chris Hart being suspended. President Zuma took the opportunity to rebuke all outspoken racists, saying that they had no place in the country and were "living in the past".
Deputy Minister of Justice John Jeffery said the government was already working to add hate speech and racist behavior to the current bill on hate crimes, which will now be redrafted and released for public comment.
"The original intention was not to criminalize hate speech, which can already be dealt with as a civil matter in the Equality Courts ... but in light of the current developments we felt, as justice, we need to look at that.
"Obviously with a crime there are various forms of punishments ... fines, restorative justice ... [that] may be more appropriate, but those things will have to be looked at . . . but not excluding jail," said Jeffery.
This week, the ANC in parliament said it was considering the German example of criminalizing the promotion of Nazism and Holocaust denial.
"We have travelled a long way to finding each other as South Africans,” Zuma said in his address. “The ANC calls on all people of this country to work together and defeat the demons of racialism and tribalism.
"It is clear that there is a tiny minority that still harbors a desire for separate amenities and who idolize apartheid-era leaders who made our country the skunk of the world. These people do not represent the true character of the new South Africa. They are living in the past."
The reference to those idolizing apartheid-era leaders was a veiled swipe at the opposition Democratic Alliance party following MP Dianne Kohler Barnard's sharing of a Facebook post praising apartheid leader PW Botha.
Other remarks that were widely derided were a reference to black people as "monkeys" by former KwaZulu-Natal estate agent Penny Sparrow, a tweet by white economist Chris Hart, who wrote that "25 years after Apartheid ended, victims are increasing, along with a sense of entitlement and hatred towards minorities". Hart's statement resulted in his suspension by his employer, Standard Bank.
Idols judge Cliff was fired from the show after his tweet on the Sparrow saga upset many. Cliff retweeted a poll that asked if racist social media utterances should be criminalized, adding: "People really don't understand free speech at all."
Elsewhere, the Gauteng sport, arts, culture and recreation department suspended an employee, Velaphi Khumalo, for his Facebook post calling for black South Africans to do to white people what "Hitler did to the Jews".
And eNCA news anchor Andrew Barnes was castigated for mocking Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga's English pronunciation.
Even though Zuma did not refer to these incidents directly in his speech, he made it clear that such behavior would not be tolerated.
Currently, racist and offensive speech falls under crimen injuria, which is less punitive.
Meanwhile, ANC caucus spokesman Moloto Mothapo said jailing racists would be an effective tool in dealing with the issue. He pointed to "the prevalence of racism and apartheid denial 22 years after democratization" and said: "Yet no one has been criminally charged or has served jail time." This, he said, showed "that current legislation is not sufficient".