Equality Court rules Ngizwe Mchunu’s anti-LGBTQIA+ remarks amount to hate speech

Lawyers for Human Rights welcomes an Equality Court ruling on hate speech as South Africa celebrates Pride Month.

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) welcomed the judgment of the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, sitting as the Equality Court, against public figure Ngizwe Mchunu regarding statements he made against members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

LHR acted for the Transhope and the Hate Crimes Working Group, who turned to court alongside the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).

The application followed a spate of online hate speech, harassment and unfair discrimination against LGBTQIA+ persons, which culminated in an aggressive in-person march against a social venue frequented by LGBTQIA+ persons in October last year. Police had to be defuse the situation.

Owing to the nature of Mchunu’s conduct and the provocative community he has amassed on social media, LHR and the SAHRC approached the Equality Court for relief against his conduct and hate speech.