The case of a man who took to Facebook to call for the “cleansing” of white people from South Africa is now in the Equality Court.
It was reported in 2016 that the man was reinstated in his provincial government job after being suspended on full pay, which further incensed those he had offended.
In the wake of Penny Sparrow comparing black people to monkeys earlier in 2016, Velaphi Khumalo took to Facebook that January to write: “We must act as Hitler did to the Jews. I don’t believe any more that the is a large number of not so racist whit people. I’m starting to be sceptical even of those within our Movement the ANC. I will from today unfriend all white people I have as friends from today u must be put under the same blanket as any other racist white because secretly u all are a bunch of racist f**k heads. as we have already seen [all sic],” he wrote.
Picture: Screenshot
In another post, he reportedly also said white people should be “hacked and killed like Jews”.
One of Velaphi Khumalo’s Facebook posts. Picture: Screengrab
The department of sport lambasted and distanced itself from Khumalo’s post at the time, which it described as “barbaric and racist”.
MEC Faith Mazibuko had said: “The department of sport, arts, culture and recreation views the hateful post by Velaphi Khumalo in a serious light. Our key mandate is nation-building and social cohesion. His sentiments take our country backwards and do not reflect what the Gauteng provincial government stands for.”
However, it later emerged that he was back in his post at work after being given a warning during internal disciplinary procedures.
SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) spokesperson Gail Smith confirmed that Velaphi would still be taken for prosecution. She said the commission had compiled all the complaints against him and would take him to the Equality Court.
They also reported that they had received confirmation from then Gauteng sport, arts, culture and recreation spokesperson Nomazwe Ntlokwana that Velaphi had resumed work as a sports marketing official. He was apparently given a final warning before processes against him were concluded.
A case was opened against him, and News24 reports that 19 complaints were ultimately lodged with the SAHRC.
He will now appear in the Equality Court sitting in the High Court in Johannesburg from today, according to News24.
He could be found guilty of criminal injuria and/or hate speech, facing jail time and/or a fine similar to the punishment handed to estate agent Vicki Momberg.