Agricultural union TLU SA have made an urgent request to the National Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Shamila Batohi, to make a decision about prosecuting the leader of Black First Land First (BLF), Andile Mngxitama.
On December 11 TLU SA laid a charge of hate speech against Mngxitama with the police. The previous day, during a public rally in Potchefstroom, North West, he threatened to kill five white people for every one black person killed. He further made threats against women and children: “We will kill their children, we will kill their women, we will kill anything we find on our way.”
“We’ve not had any feedback regarding the process yet,” said TLU SA president Louis Meintjies. “After various phone calls and emails, we hand-delivered a letter to the office of the NPA. It was signed for by Adv E Matzke on behalf of the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions and she undertook to give feedback within two days. We’ve not heard anything.”
Requests were made by various groups with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to withdraw the BLF’s registration as a political party standing in the coming elections. The IEC’s Code of Conduct prohibits political parties to use language that could incite violence or to intimidate voters.
However, the IEC said that these rules are only valid during election times.
Then just this week, Mngxitama made it clear during the BLF’s registration for the elections at the office of the IEC, that white people are not welcome in his party. (See the video here).
“This kind of hate speech spewing from his mouth continuously is extremely inflammatory and often the spark to lead to violent attacks and even murder on farms,” said Meintjies. “The NPA is failing in its mandate to prosecute a hate speaker like Andile Mngxitama. He is literally getting away with murder.”
TLU SA is calling on the public to put pressure on the NPA’s National Director of Public Prosecutions, Adv Shamila Batohi, to prosecute him.
Signing a petition, will send your request will be sent directly to the office of Adv Batohi.
