FW de Klerk Foundation reports 45 'racist' posts by 'disaffected blacks'

The FW de Klerk Foundation has laid complaints with the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) over 45 posts on social media expressing "the most virulent and dangerous racism... from disaffected black South Africans".

In a statement, the foundation raised its concerns "about recent statements in the media and the social media that constitute hurtful racist remarks”.

“In this regard, it issued a statement on January 5 in which it strongly condemned the recent racist remarks made by Penny Sparrow regarding black South Africans who made use of public beaches on New Year’s Day.”


The foundation said most media commentators viewed Sparrow's remarks and the subsequent "far less controversial" comments of Chris Hart and Gareth Cliff as evidence of rampant and pervasive white racism while some of the views and threats expressed by black South Africans have not been met with the same disapproval.

“An analysis of Facebook and Twitter messages shows that by far the most virulent and dangerous racism - expressed in the most extreme and violent language - has come from disaffected black South Africans. The messages are replete with threats to kill all whites - including children; to rape white women or to expel all whites from South Africa.

“Section 16(1) of the Constitution states that everyone has the right to freedom of expression and section 16(2) adds that this right does not extend to propaganda for war; to incitement to imminent violence; or to advocacy of hatred that is based on race, ethnicity, gender or religion and that constitutes incitement to cause harm.
“Section 10 of the Promotion of Equality and Prohibition of Unfair Discrimination Act (PEPUDA), which deals with hate speech, states that 'no person may publish, propagate, advocate or communicate words based on one or more of the prohibited grounds, against any person, that could be construed to be hurtful; to be harmful or to incite harm; or to promote or propagate hatred'.”

According to the foundation, the views expressed in the selected tweets contravene all of these provisions.
“The foundation has requested the SAHRC to make use of its powers “to investigate and to report on the observance of human rights” in so far as these messages constitute hate speech in terms of section 16(2) of the Constitution and Section 10 of PEPUDA.”

Furthermore, they have also asked the SAHRC to use its powers to “take steps to secure appropriate redress where human rights have been violated” and, if it believes it to be appropriate, to refer communications that directly incite the killing of people or the perpetration of grievous bodily harm, to the National Director of Public Prosecutions for further consideration.