AfriForum submits hate speech complaint against rap group Dookoom

AfriForum submitted a complaint of hate speech against the Cape rap group Dookoom to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC). In the complaint the SAHRC is asked to declare the song "Larney, jou p#*s" as well as the music video produced for the song as hate speech.

The complaint follows after the song received a mass of media attention and exposure. On 12 October 2014, AfriForum wrote a letter to the group requesting them to withdraw the song and music video within 24 hours or else the organisation will take further action.

Ernst Roets, Deputy CEO of AfriForum, labelled the song as a vulgar form of hate speech.

"The song contains extremely racist and degrading remarks against white people in general. We received various complaints from people who feel tremendously offended by this song."

The song starts and ends with the following lyrics:

Farmer Abrahams had many farms,

and many farms had farmer Abrahams,

I work one of them and so would you,

So let's go burn 'em down.

The second verse claims that Jan van Riebeeck arrived in South Africa with a group of criminals, that his descendants are scum and that white people are villains and criminals because it is in their bloodline.

The music video contains a scene where farm workers enter a farmer's farm and set fire to it.

"The most insulting words in the Afrikaans language are used to describe white people in the song. The reality is that farmers in this country are already vulnerable and frequently attacked, murdered and tortured," Roets said.

"Artistic freedom and freedom of speech should be protected, but that doesn't change the fact that this song violates the Equality Act and that hate speech is not protected by the right to freedom of speech."

Roets added that the test for hate speech is not what the artist claims his intentions are with the song, but rather if the song can be reasonably interpreted as oppose to the demonstration of destructive intentions or the encouragement of hate and damage.

Statement issued by Ernst Roets, Deputy CEO of AfriForum, October 14 2014

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