DA takes Juju to Human Rights Commission
Two separate incidents will see the official opposition attempt to get the EFF leader to answer to the Human Rights Commission.
EFF leader Julius Malema is pictured during a press briefing in Johannesburg, 08 June 2017, on corruption att Transnet. Picture: Refilwe Modise
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) are set to investigate a DA complaint lodged against Julius Malema for making “racist remarks”, The South African has reported.
Two separate incidents, one relating to the remarks about Indian and coloured South Africans made at a recent Youth Day address in North West, and the other involving Malema’s language directed at Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Athol Trollip, make up the complaint.
In the complaint, the party also raises an issue with EFF deputy leader Floyd Shivambu. The EFF deputy leader’s recent comments directed at Treasury’s Ishmail Momoniat, which included allegations that he regularly “undermines African leadership”, made it into the complaint, although it is Malema, not his deputy, who will have to face the commission.
Malema has come under a great deal of fire for his assertion, at the Youth Day rally, that “the majority of Indians are racist”. Malema added “the same thing applies to some of the coloured brothers”.
READ MORE: Malema to be dragged to court over comments about Indians
While attempting to unseat Athol Trollip as mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay as retribution for DA’s refusal to back the motion tabled in parliament on land expropriation without compensation, Malema threatened to “slit the throat of whiteness”, another comment that has made it into the SAHRC complaint.
DA Youth Federal leader Luyolo Mphithi said: “The DA strongly condemns these remarks, and we are of the view that these utterances by Malema and Shivambu are prejudiced, divisive and have no place in a democratic society.”
“No South African should ever have to face the humiliation of such an assault on their dignity, and it is now becoming evident that the EFF is not ready to govern a diverse society such as South Africa.”
The SAHRC will now decide whether this is an issue that falls under their mandate. If they aren’t able to take on the case, the DA would have to pursue another legal organisation to hear their complaints.
The DA are not alone in taking Malema to task legally for his comments about Indian people.
South African Minority Rights Equality Movement (Samrem) has opened a case against the leader for his words during his Youth Day speech, marking the third time they’ve dragged the controversial commander-in-chief to court.
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