Lamola facing hate speech charges

2012-06-06 13:26

Johannesburg - AfriForum and TAU SA are preparing to lay charges against ANC Youth League deputy president Ronald Lamola over comments he made about land reform, the groups said on Wednesday.

"AfriForum intends to lay charges against Lamola at both the Equality Court and the police in order to ensure that inciting statements of this nature are called to order," the organisation's legal representative Willie Spies said in a statement.

He said Lamola's comments amounted to hate speech and fell within the definitions of incitement to violence.

The Transvaal Agricultural (TAU SA) said it was "disgusted" by Lamola's comments and would file a complaint with the Human Rights Commission.

"TAU SA has instructed its legal team to start with the strongest possible measures against Lamola, the ANC Youth League, the ANC and its president."

We welcome this battle - ANCYL

On Tuesday, Lamola said the Constitution must be changed to allow for the expropriation of land without compensation.

He warned that if white South Africans did not hand land over to poor blacks, there could be land invasions like those that took place in Zimbabwe.

Spies said Lamola specifically referred to, among others, "the Van Tonders and the Van der Merwes on farms" and warned that their safety cannot be guaranteed.

African National Congress Youth League spokesperson Magdalene Moonsamy said the groups needed to be "ready for the fight of their lives".

"We welcome this battle, and we will not retreat. We are adamant that this issue of land cannot be negotiated, and at no point will we back down," she said.

"It is fine if certain structures in Afrikaner society want to lay complaints - we will find and meet them wherever they do so."

- SAPA