There's this misconception that it’s only white bigots like Steve Hofmeyr who get taken to task for making offensive remarks.
That wit mense are regularly called out for hate speech and racial slurs; while black racists are seemingly exempt from censure.
The argument you’ll often hear is: “Ja, but when Julius Malema sings Shoot the Boer, then it’s fine.”
Not true.
It seems people choose to forget that the EFF leader has been convicted twice of hate speech in his political career - and fined R50 000 on one occasion.
For the record, in April 2010, the North Gauteng High Court granted an interdict preventing Juju from publicly uttering the words of any song which could be considered to be “instigating violence, distrust and/or hatred between black and white citizens in the Republic of South Africa”.
True story.
There was another outcry recently after MultiChoice opted to dump all of Hofmeyr’s content from their DStv channels.
This following several of the Afrikaans singer’s controversial tweets, such as “black people were the architects of apartheid”.
And his song Die Land being dropped from the nominees list at kykNET’s Ghoema Music Awards
GUILTY: Julius Malema
Yoh, the backlash! The mense soema braaied their decoders in protest.
While fans were moaning that arme Steve was being picked on again for merely being a white ou defending die volk, they seemed to have overlooked another hate speech case.
On Monday, the Equality Court ruled that Black First Land First’s (BLF) political slogan “Land or Death” constitutes hate speech.
BLF were ordered to remove the slogan from their regalia, social media accounts and website, and to tender a written apology to all South Africans, within a one-month period.
That ought to shut them up... eventually.
BLF deputy president Zanele Lwana said they planned to appeal the ruling, saying: “We believe we are protected within the confines of the Constitution in terms of freedom of expression and association.”
This is often the argument against “political correctness”.
You see, there are those who feel that modern society is over-sensitive.
That there is far too much tolerance and respect; too much
consideration for others’ lifestyles.
They complain that they’re not free to say what they want; they have to choose their words carefully.
They defend their freedom of expression; their “right” to hurt, offend and attack others’ cultures, religion, gender, sexual orientation, etc.
Take the story of Wallabies star Israel Folau.
Rugby Australia is set to sack Folau, and sponsors have dropped the player, after he shared a post on Instagram that read: “Drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolators. Hell awaits you.”
GAY SLUR: Israel Folau
The devout Christian has stood by his homophobic comments, saying: “I’ll stand on what the Bible says. I shared it with love... He’s a loving God and he wants people to turn away from what they’re living in and he’ll give them life.
“That’s the message that I’m trying to share, even though it comes across as harsh. I can’t change what the word of God says.”
Look, the man exercised his right to express his religious views. Fair enough.
But the moral of the story here is: if you offend people, there will be
consequences.