Cop charged over Facebook' hate speech'

2011-12-14 16:37

Johannesburg -  AfriForum charged police officer Juda Dagane with hate speech at the Human Rights Commission on Wednesday and called for his dismissal from the service.

This, after the publication in Beeld newspaper of "blatant racist utterances Dagane had recently made on a Facebook page", the organisation said in a statement.

It said the page had been launched in support of suspended ANC Youth League president Julius Malema.

"When the black Messiah [Nelson Mandela] dies, we'll teach the whites. We'll commit genocide against them: I hate whites," Dagane posted on the Facebook page on November 19, according to the report in Beeld.

Dagane added that whites had no place in their ["our"] hearts and thoughts, AfriForum said.

"In another entry made on December 7, Dagane said he was in the employ of the SA Police Service. The entries have since been removed, and the police have given an undertaking to investigate the matter."

AfriForum's deputy CEO, Ernst Roets, said Dagane's utterances were "more than just a blatant form of hate speech".

"It is incitement to violence and even murder."

AfriForum also appealed to the SAPS to remove Dagane from his position, and threatened to take further action against Dagane and the SAPS should his behaviour not be addressed.

"No person has the right to make such utterances. However, coming from an SAPS officer, such statements are cause for grave concern. In order to protect its reputation, the SAPS will have to take definite steps against Dagane," Roets added.

AfriForum said it would monitor the police investigation into Dagane.

Beeld quoted national police spokesman Captain Dennis Adriao, confirming that an internal investigation had been ordered.

- SAPA