The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has confirmed that President Jacob Zuma was charged with hate speech charges.
Isaac Mangena spokesperson for the SAHRC said that the Freedom Front Plus laid the charge. The charge relates to comments that Zuma allegedly made during a fundraiser for the ANC. He apparently said that “all the trouble started” when Jan van Riebeeck arrived in the Cape in 1652.
“The FF Plus claimed that the negative comments had an effect on the descendants of Jan van Riebeeck and white people in South Africa in particular, and that the statements demonize Afrikaners on the basis of a wrong historical view.”
Mangena said the SAHRC is currently working to evaluate the charges and decide whether they have the mandate to continue.
Anton Alberts, spokesperson of the FF Plus said his party had felt forced to lay the charge as they believe that the statements made by Zuma were a form of hate speech.
“He was speaking on the basis of race”
“He (Zuma) has said the ANC was a formation of indigenous people … which implies that other people cannot be regarded as indigenous.”
Alberts referred to the preamble of the Constitution which states that South Africa belongs to all who live in it.
According to Alberts, whites, coloreds and Indians are referred to as “non-native”, degraded to second class citizens and considered to be colonists”.
He claimed the remarks that were made by Zuma, are not historically accurate.
“We ask that the SAHRC compel the ANC to pay for advertising in mainstream newspapers where they apologize and that Zuma (from his own pocket), and the ANC, each pay R1 million in a fund to people who are part of the minority and victims of crime,” said Alberts.
Mac Maharaj presidency spokesman referred inquiries to the ANC. The ANC could not be reached immediately for comments.
On an international level Front National, in a joined effort with the social media sites “Save the white people-stop the killing” and South Africa Today launched an online petition with the aim of preparing formal charges against the South African President, Jacob Zuma, for committing crimes against humanity. The crimes include: Hate Speech, Racism, Denial of Basic Human Rights of minorities and Incitement to Genocide.
The petition will be presented to the United Nations in New York and the International Criminal Court in The Hague later this year.
The petition can be signed at the following link:
Jacob Zuma to be charged with Crimes Against Humanity
South Africa Today – South Africa News
