Prosecute Malema for his hate speech
FINALLY, Vicki Momberg, a white South African, has been sentenced to an effective two years behind bars – one year of her sentence will be suspended – after she hurled racial slurs at police officers following a smash-and-grab incident in Johannesburg.
Momberg is the first person in South Africa to be jailed for crimen injuria.
I do not object to this sentence at all, as when one hurls racist slurs at any human being, then the law must take its course and the responsible person must be held accountable for his or her actions and punished, as was the case with Momberg.
Hopefully this has set a precedent and may this be a deterrent to others in future.
But I do object and condemn in the strongest possible terms that Julius Malema, a black South African, as a leader of his political party, can stand on a platform in front of his supporters and chant the racist words: “Kill the boer, kill the farmer”.
Listening to this, Malema is not only being racist, but is promoting hatred, causing divisions within the country and telling the nation that it is right to murder a farmer, a white person.
When a religious leader stands on a podium in front of his or her congregation, love your neighbour as you love yourself is preached.
This in return unifies us as human beings and promotes love among us all.
Malema, again in the same context, is promoting extreme racism and hatred to the nation, thus inciting wrongdoing and sending out the wrong message.
The evidence is there: Malema should be arrested, charged and, if found guilty in a court of law, he should be sentenced, as happened in the Momberg case.
Why are our authorities in South Africa turning a blind eye to these deliberately racist, obscene remarks by Malema.
The rule of law should be enforced, but it seems it is unfairly applied here and freedom of bad behaviour by Malema is allowed.
Human Rights Watch should intervene, as the rights of minority groups like whites in South Africa are being denied. Keith Thurley Doonside, KwaZulu-Natal