By Buchule Putini
Johannesburg– The walls appear to be closing in on Patriotic Alliance (PA) Deputy President Kenny Kunene, as the Gauteng High Court has found him guilty of hate speech.
The judgment, delivered today, relates to a public statement in which Kunene referred to Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema as a “cockroach”—a term the court found to be dehumanising and inflammatory.
In a statement welcoming the ruling, the EFF said the decision upholds the constitutional right to human dignity.
“The court was unambiguous in its reflection on how Kunene’s despicable conduct constituted hate speech in terms of section 10 of the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act of 2000. The judgment affirms that political speech must not descend into language that dehumanises others, particularly given South Africa’s historical context,” the party said.
Kunene recently resigned from his position as Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Transport in the City of Johannesburg after he was found at the residence of Katiso Molefe during a Police operation leading to an arrest.
