Nzimande: HRC a kangaroo court

2008-07-02 19:10

Cape Town - The SA Human Rights Commission (HRC) is behaving like a "kangaroo court" with its threats of action against those who made "kill for Zuma" remarks, the SA Communist Party said on Wednesday.

The commission's demand that African National Congress Youth League president Julius Malema and Cosatu secretary-general Zwelinzima Vavi retract their "kill for Zuma" statements constituted a violation of the law, wrote SACP secretary-general Blade Nzimande in the party's online newsletter, Umsebenzi.

This was in light of the fact that the commission had not yet interviewed the two on the matter.

"In both the cases referred to here, it is indeed deeply disturbing that the HRC never afforded any of these comrades an opportunity to be heard.

"This is a very serious violation of the constitution, laws of natural justice and the very spirit and the letter of the act governing the HRC, and practically turns the HRC into a kangaroo court," he said.

HRC 'could become biased'

The way the investigation was being conducted threatened to undermine the HRC's good track record.

"The manner in which the Vavi and Malema matters have been handled by the HRC is deeply worrying as it threatens to erode whatever good work this commission has done before," he wrote.

He said the commission ran the risk of becoming biased towards elites, who happened to have access to the media and legal resources.

Nzimande said: "Such actions unjustifiably unleash the always "battle-ready" media lynch mob, without observance of any due process as contained in our constitution, thus severely prejudicing the individuals concerned."

The commission's ultimatum to Malema to retract his remark that the league would kill for ANC president Jacob Zuma expired at midnight on Wednesday.

- SAPA