ANC NOT TO BE TRUSTED WITH AGREEMENT ON HATE SPEECH

 "The Freedom Front Plus would have welcomed a court decision in the Malema hate speech case, as it would have brought clarity and would have been enforceable.

The ANC cannot be trusted with the agreement it signed with Afriforum and the TAU SA about the Malema hate speech case. It is not the first time that the ANC has undertaken to encourage its supporters to desist with hate speech. Historically, the Freedom Front Plus, in 2007 had a similar agreement with the ANC, following a complaint it submitted to the Human Rights Commission (HRC). The complaint arose from placards in Dendron containing the words "All Boers are Killers" and "A Boer will remain a F***** Boer" in a protest march of the ANC. The agreement was concluded on 17 April 2007 in the hearing of the HR. and the ANC even agreed to take disciplinary action against members. Needless to say, the ANC did not stick to the agreement," Mr. Pieter Groenewald, parliamentary leader of the FF Plus said.

 "Even if the agreement with Afriforum and the TAU SA is made an order of the court, it is difficult to enforce in practice. An undertaking to "advise and encourage supporters and the leadership to act with self constraint ... to avoid giving offense" is too wide. Nowhere was it agreed to, that the words sung by Malema is hate speech. According to information Malema was not present and it is doubted whether he would at all stick to the agreement," Groenewald said.

Statement issued by Mr. Pieter Groenewald (MP), FF Plus Parliamentary Leader, October 31 2012

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