Hate speech finding ‘wrong’

Convicted racist Vicki Momberg, pictured, said yesterday she does not agree with the Equality Court’s findings against her earlier this year.

In February 2016, Momberg, 48, was seen on a video shouting racial slurs at police officers who were assisting her after she was the victim of a smash-and-grab in Johannesburg.

During proceedings at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Momberg denied accepting the ruling by the court that the words she used were hate speech, saying they were unintentional.

“If I’m understanding you correctly, the judgment is wrong?” state prosecutor Yusuf Baba asked Momberg.

“He [the magistrate] knows what he is doing and I know what happened that night and I did not go out intentionally that night,” she said.

The Equality Court has ordered Momberg to attend a programme of integrated community service and sensitivity training to be administered by the SA Human Rights Commission, along with affiliate organisations such as the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation.

The court also ordered Momberg to pay Constable Clement Mkhondo, the man she shouted the racial slurs at, R100 000 damages.

Yesterday, Momberg said she felt Mkhondo had taken her to court for monetary gain and not because he was offended by her utterances since he did not intend to give the money to charity.

Momberg told the court she was willing to undergo the prescribed treatment, but did not agree with the finding that her words were hate speech.

Earlier, Momberg wept on the stand and told the court that she wasn’t able to drive on her own at night and was irritable following the incident. She said that she had to get medication after it.

Baba put it to her that there was a contradiction between a statement from her psychiatrist on her emotional state after the incident and her testimony during the case. The matter was postponed to December 7. – ANA