DA lays second charge against ANC Youth League in Free State

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is today laying charges against the Free State ANC Youth League Chairperson, Thebe Meeko, for intimidation. Yesterday I laid a complaint of hate speech with the Equality Court, in Cape Town (which will be forwarded by the Court to the Free State), and today we are laying a criminal charge of intimidation at the Magistrates Court in the Free State. The case number is CAS1381/10/2009.

Meeko is quoted in yesterday's edition of The Times as saying that University of the Free State vice chancellor Professor Jonathan Jansen should be "shot and killed because he is a racist". Prior to reportedly saying this, Mr. Meeko also addressed a crowd, with video footage of the event confirming that Meeko said: "like President Jacob Zuma when he said the police must meet fire with fire, the shoot-to-kill approach must also apply to all the racists, including Jansen - because he is a racist. He must know that we have removed more powerful people than him before. Jansen is equally a criminal like those four racists." Meeko is also reported to have stated: "We will shoot to kill racism and those who are racist. Jansen must go".

The Youth League has now tried to backtrack by claiming that they were referring to racism and not Professor Jansen. Once again the Youth League's ‘selective memory' and dishonest disposition is palpable for all to see.

We laid the charge with the Equality Court because the statements attributed to Meeko clearly equate to hate speech. Such conduct violates the Constitution, and constitutes an incitement to cause physical harm to Mr Jansen.

The ANC and its alliance partners are no strangers to hate speech, particularly with the incitement of violence and threat of physical harm. The abuse of speaking on a public platform can no longer be tolerated. The statement in question must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. It is an absolute disgrace. It is embarrassing for us as a country, for the ANC and for the government. It must be met with immediate and decisive consequences.

Most of all it is indicative of the kind of political culture the ANC is fostering under Jacob Zuma: one defined by war-talk, by threats of violence and the use of intimidation. The accusation of racism and the ANC's revolutionary inclinations have merged into a horrific kind of political rhetoric; one which has no place for tolerance. It is an undemocratic language, foreign to most South Africans and not recognised by our Constitution, but increasingly spoken by senior ANC leaders. It must be stopped.

The DA has forced some consequences. The ANCYL will now have to explain itself in court. The responses of these people will tell us everything we need to know about the ANC. Whether it regards this kind of rhetoric as acceptable, or whether it acts decisively to send out the right message.

Meeko should be suspended immediately, face disciplinary action and accept any consequences that result from his outburst.

Statement issued by Wilmot James, MP, Democratic Alliance shadow minister of higher education and training, October 28 2009

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