Andile Mngxitama to face hate speech charges
The Congress of the People (Cope) has confirmed it will be laying charges of hate speech and incitement to violence against the leader of Black First Land First (BLF) Andile Mngxitama.
This comes after comments he made on Saturday, during a rally at the Ikageng Stadium in Potchefstroom, about South African billionaire Johann Rupert.
Mngxitama told his supporters that Rupert said he controls the taxi bosses, and for every black person killed by the taxi industry, the BLF will kill five white people.
“We are sending a message to Johann Rupert, he says he is not afraid of us because he has control over the taxi industry bosses. We know what that means, taxi industry bosses are people who are involved in killing other people. Johann Rupert says if we touched him he will unleash upon us the taxi industry people. Now here is a message, to Johann Rupert; it’s okay, pay the taxi industry bosses, but here is the deal; for each one person that is being killed by the taxi industry, will be five white people, for every one black person killed, it will be five white people. You kill one of us, we will kill five of you. You kill one of us, we will kill five white people, the children, the women and anything that we find on our way” said Mngxitama.
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Cope spokesperson Glacier Nkhwashu says the party will lay the charges at the Kimberley police station on Tuesday.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) also says it will be laying a complaint against Mngxitama at the South African Human Rights Commission and the Equality Court.
“We believe that those statements have no place in South Africa, and for a country as diverse as ours belongs to everyone who believes in it. The spirit of Mngxitama sentiments is against the spirit of our rainbow nation.” Says DA spokesperson Solly Malatsi
Solidarity spokesperson Francious Redelinghuys says they will be writing a letter to the Independent Electoral Commission to ensure the BLF does not participate in the 2019 election.
“We believe that a political party with a belief and a discourse like that should not get any political power, we will be sending the letter tomorrow.”
Afriforum has also indicated that it will be approaching the National Prosecuting Authority to criminally charge Mngxitama.
BLF was not available for comment, but the party indicated it would hold a media briefing on Tuesday.