The SAHRC files case against Louis Liebenberg at the Equality Court over alleged racist utterances and hate speech

Friday, 15 November 2024

Today, 15 November 2024, the South African Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC) Gauteng Provincial Office (GPO) has served court papers on Mr Louis Liebenberg over alleged racist utterances. This follows the SAHRC filing of an application in the Equality Court sitting in the Pretoria High Court on 7 November 2024, against Mr Liebenberg over the same utterances.

The SAHRC brings this application to the Equality Court after receiving complaints about the utterances made by Mr Liebenberg on several WhatsApp voice notes, which include the repeated use of the K-word, reference to Black people as monkeys as well as nostalgia for apartheid and discrimination. The SAHRC seeks that the court declare the utterances made by Mr Liebenberg as hate speech in terms of section 10 (1) of the Promotion of Equality Prevention of Unfair Discrimation Act 4 of 2000.

The SAHRC argues in its papers that Mr Liebenberg’s utterances constitute hate speech, unfair discrimination and the dissemination of unfair discrimination.  The SAHRC also seeks that the court order Mr Liebenberg to, amongst other things, apologise unconditionally and not repeat hate speech on any social media platform and/or public platforms.

Statement issued by Wisani Baloyi, SAHRC Communications Coordinator, 15 November 2024