Malema guilty of hate speech

2010-03-15 10:36

Johannesburg - The Johannesburg Equality Court on Monday found ANC Youth League president Julius Malema guilty of hate speech and harassment.

"This court is satisfied that the utterances by the respondent... amounted to hate speech," said magistrate Colleen Collis.

"The uttered words constitute harassment as contemplated in the Equality Act."

Malema was taken to court by the Sonke Gender Justice Network over his comments that President Jacob Zuma's rape accuser had "a nice time".

This, because the woman woke up in Zuma's home the following morning, took a shower, made phone calls in which she did not tell the people she called about the alleged rape, and later had breakfast.

Malema's comments came after Zuma was acquitted on the rape charge.

Apology, fine

Collis ordered Malema to make an unconditional public apology within two weeks and pay an amount of R50 000 to a centre for abused women within one month.

Collis concluded her judgment with a word of wisdom to Malema.

"Mr Malema, being a man of vast political influence, be wary of turning into a man that often speaks but never talks."

- SAPA