DA welcomes Minister Mapisa-Nqakula’s dismissal of SANDF member accused of hate speech

23 May 2018

The DA welcomes reports that South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has dismissed Major M.V Mohlala following inflammatory remarks that he made on social media after the assault of an elderly man.

Soon after Mohlala posted on Facebook that the victim should have had his “eyes and tongue poked out”, the DA wrote to the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, requesting that she investigate an allegation of hate speech against the SANDF employee. We also reported the matter to the Human Rights Commission for further investigation.

We are therefore pleased that the Minister has taken our request seriously and has chosen to do the right thing by having Mohlala dismissed.

Mohlala further remarked that “all of these old white people think we are stupid when they say they were opposed to apartheid... Now it is the white people’s turn.”

 The DA condemns such comments as their sole purpose is to sow division in a country that is still healing from the injustices of the past.

 As a member of our armed forces, Mohlala should have upheld his mandate of protecting all citizens. Instead, he chose to incite violence and racial hatred through his Facebook post.

The DA will continue to speak out against racism and will take the necessary action to ensure that all those who attempt to cause division in our nation face the consequences.

Issued by Kobus Marais, DA Shadow Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, 23 May 2018