10 000 sign petition to remove MP Andile Mngxitama over hate speech

A petition launched by Concerned Citizens has garnered nearly 10 000 signatures, calling for the removal of newly sworn-in Member of Parliament (MP) Andile Mngxitama from Parliament.

The petition accuses Mngxitama, a member of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party of perpetuating hate speech and urges the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to take legal action against him.

This comes after a video taken five years ago at a BLF event went viral, showing Mngxitama making threatening statements about white people.

AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel has expressed his support for the petition.

Kriel states, “Even in the lower courts this kind of behavior can be seen as figurative speech, it’s something that is not acceptable and that is why we are now going to the ConCourt with regard to Julius Malema’s ‘kill the boer’ song…”

“Because in that regard, it was said that it was figurative speech but the problem is, one should not look at what people say their intention is when they say that. We should see what a reasonable person would feel when they hear that. And if you hear this kind of statement that children and women should be killed it is harmful, it is hurtful,” adds Kriel.

Meanwhile, Mngxitama says he is not concerned about the calls for his removal from Parliament as he was previously exonerated for his remarks by the Equality Court.

Mngxitama says, “AfriForum took me to the Equality Court and the matter was dismissed. The court was able to see the context in which I made that statement. I was responding to Johann Rupert who had said in an interview that he has a private army in the taxi industry. Now in the taxi industry our people get killed and murdered – children, women indiscriminately and here is this man who is threatening violence upon black people.”

Andile Mngxitama defends comments made rally: