The incident is a response to the Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards ceremony held in Midrand on Friday 30th November 2018. An image of the EFF’s President and Deputy President was apparently shown during an address of one of the speakers with the caption “abusers of democracy – this was interpreted as an attack of the EFF leadership”.
The Commission is of the view that political parties as well as the population at large should ensure that we all use the legal and constitutional mechanisms at our disposal in addressing grievances. A constitutional democracy such as ours should not tolerate violence and/or looting and vandalism as a response to utterances that are not acceptable to one group or another in our society. There are appropriate legal and constitutional mechanisms which can be used in order to express such dislikes.
The Commission commends and supports the criminal investigation by the South African Police Service (SAPS) on this matter. The Commission will also monitor the matter closely and will intervene when necessary and appropriate.
Ends
Issued by the South African Human Rights Commission
Gail Smith – Spokesperson Tel: 060 988 3792 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Gushwell Brooks – Communications Co-ordinator Tel: 082 645 8573 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.