Velaphi Khumalo denies call for whites to be hacked to death is hate speech

Gauteng department of sport and recreation employee Velaphi Khumalo appeared before the Equality Court sitting in the High Court in Johannesburg today to answer to charges of hate speech brought by the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).

He has reportedly denied that his utterances constituted hate speech after he, among other things, called for the “cleansing” of white people from South Africa on Facebook in 2016.

The SAHRC has called for a R150 000 fine against Khumalo, wholly suspended for a year, for his posts.

It was reported in 2016 he was reinstated in his provincial government job after having been 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, Khumalo had taken 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.

In another post, he reportedly also said white people should be “hacked and killed like Jews”.

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 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.

SAHRC spokesperson Gail Smith said the commission had compiled all the complaints against him.

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 after 19 complaints were ultimately lodged with the SAHRC.

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.