ANC lays formal complaint against DA with HRC

Johannesburg – The ANC said on Tuesday it had laid a formal complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission to investigate the DA as a "breeding ground" for racists.

Spokesperson Zizi Kodwa told News24 that they had asked the commission to investigate racism within the DA, as well as whether the DA was fuelled by racists.

The SAHRC earlier pledged to investigate all racism-related complaints, regardless of the perpetrator’s race.

"We have already laid criminal charges against several individuals who have made racist remarks on a number of social media platforms" Kodwa said, adding that the complaints were laid at the Hillbrow police station.

Among those that the party had laid complaints against were:

- DA MP Mike Waters who allegedly posted a picture on Twitter showing a pack of dogs lining up at a tree, underneath which was a picture of President Jacob Zuma;

- DA member Penny Sparrow who took to Facebook describing black beachgoers as "monkeys", in an apparent reaction to litter left behind after New Year’s celebrations;

- Nelson Mandela Bay DA councillor Chris Roberts, who allegedly referred to UDM councillor Mongameli Bobani as "councillor bobbejaan".

They had also laid a complaint against economist Chris Hart who came under fire after he tweeted on Sunday that 25 years after apartheid ended, the victims were increasing, "along with a sense of entitlement and hatred toward minorities".

"Most of these racists come from the DA... Waters, Diane Kohler-Barnard, you name them, they are there," said Kodwa.

Kohler-Barnard recently came under fire for sharing a Facebook post praising apartheid president PW Botha.

DA leader Mmusi Maimane's spokesperson, Mabine Seabe, said the ANC was using a political gimmick.

"If one or two people come out as racist, it doesn’t mean that the party is racist. The DA condemns racism heavily. We have no space for racists in the DA," he said.

This article first appeared on News24 – see here.