Zuma had in June last year written an open letter attacking Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom and Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan for their stance against his father.
Yesterday the Equality Court imposed a fine of R60000 and a number of restrictions and instructions against Zuma in the case brought by the SA Human Rights Commission.

KwaZulu-Natal ANC provincial task team co-ordinator Sihle Zikalala welcomed the court decision, saying Zuma’s statement was reckless in the eyes of the ANC and the society. “We must not be reckless, and we must not border on hate speech,” said Zikalala.
When asked if the ANC would take further actions against Zuma, Zikalala said the party would study the SAHRC report, and “only then we will comment on that”.

However, Zuma had in August succumbed to the ANC’s pressure to apologise to Hanekom and Gordhan, which was followed by the party’s statement saying “the ANC expresses its sincere gratitude to Cde Edward for respecting and subjecting himself to the political discipline of the organisation”.
Zuma arrived in court accompanied by his three attorneys, Simphiwe Mncwango, Ayanda Mkhwanazi and Sizwe Khanyile. But he and Mncwango left before the proceedings started after they had told magistrate Irfaan Khalil that he had other commitments to attend to.
Initially the SAHRC wanted Zuma to be fined R100000 and the money donated to a needy school in Howick, Midlands.
However, after Zuma had admitted to have acted wrongly, both parties settled on a R60000 fine, which would be split in half to be donated to the SAHRC’s chosen Ohlange High School in Inanda, north of Durban, and Umthombo.

In the letter, Zuma accused Gordhan of selling the country to business tycoon Johann Rupert. He also accused the former finance minister of being “one of the most corrupt cadres of the ANC who thinks African natives are no better than just being sugar cane cutters”.
Zuma said in the letter Gordhan preferred “natives to be perennially marginalised and always eat the leftovers dished by Indians and the white minority and its capital network". He said Gordhan, “as Gandhi, sees black African natives as a low caste; k****** who are subhuman and deserve no status beyond that definition”.
Zuma also wrote that Hanekom was “white Afrikaner askari” and a “white monopoly capitalist offspring - who is no better than a vile dog trained to maul a black skin. (He)showed us his true colours - and how the struggle of our people has been infiltrated by enemies - the racist-paternalistic minority.”
Both Gordhan and Hanekom did not take action against Zuma, but SAHRC chairperson Bongani Majola did on behalf of the South African society with an aim of “promoting the protection, development and attainment of human rights”.
Reading the settlement agreement, magistrate Khalil said Zuma’s comment amounted to hate speech. He said Zuma should issue an unconditional apology within seven days.
He also interdicted Zuma from publishing, propagating, advocating or communicating hate speech.
SAHRC KwaZulu-Natal manager Tanuja Munnoo said the ruling was a lesson that freedom of expression should not be used irresponsibly.
She said Zuma had undermined the constitutional vision to build a united democratic society.
“In the words and language contained in the letter, such as the word askari, we have no doubt that the world carries hatred on the basis of race and it constitutes incitement to harm,” she said.
Once Zuma had signed the unconditional apology, he had to forward it to the SAHRC, she said.
“Then we would undertake to publish it through our website and even put it out as a media statement for the public domain,” she said.
Gordhan and Hanekom said they would only comment once the SAHRC publishes the apology. Zuma and his lawyers refused to comment.

Source: IOL