Jewish Board lays criminal charge for Dlamini hate speech

29 June 2015

The SA Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) has laid criminal charges against former Wits SRC President Mcebo Dlamini for racist and defamatory comments made against the South African Jewish community last week. Specifically, Dlamini stated regarding the Jewish community, “They are devils. They are good for nothing. They are hypocritical, just like [Wits University Vice-Chancellor] Adam Habib. They are uncircumcised in heart”. The comments were made in the course of a live interview on Power FM on 23 June (see report).

Dlamini’s comments are the latest in a series of offensive public statements that he made about South African Jews over the past nine months. The SAJBD already has a complaint of hate speech against him pending before the SA Human Rights Commission, and has asked the Commission to add his Power FM remarks to the existing charges.

Statement issued by Charisse Zeifert, Head: Communications, South African Jewish Board of Deputies, June 29 2015