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COSATU'S MASUKU GUILTY OF HATE SPEECH

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Cosatu International Relations Secretary, Bongani Masuku
Cosatu International Relations Secretary, Bongani Masuku
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COSATU'S international secretary Bongani Masuku has been found guilty of hate speech.

The Equality Court sitting in the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg has ordered Masuku to apologise to SA Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD).

In 2009 the SAJBD laid a complaint against Masuku, saying he made threatening, inflammatory and derogatory statements against the South African Jewish community, City Press reported.

The SAJBD said that Masuku, while in a public address at Wits University, threatened that Jewish South Africans would be targeted because of their support for Israel.

They also complained that he repeated the same in various written communications.

The weekly Sunday paper also added that Masuku made statements that Jewish lives would be made "hell", and that vigilante action would be taken against Jewish families suspected of having members serving in the Israeli military, and that Jews who continued to stand up for Israel should "not just be encouraged, but forced to leave South Africa".

Masuku was found guilty of hate speech on Thursday morning.

The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and SAJBD were squaring off with Masuku and Cosatu.

Judge Seun Moshidi said Masuku should apologise within 30 days of the order or within a period that the parties may agree.

"The impugned statements are declared hurtful, harmful, incite harm, and propagate hatred, and amount to hate speech... " Moshidi said.

Masuku and other members of Cosatu and affiliated unions were present in court for the judgment.

In 2009, the SAHRC found Masuku guilty of hate speech.

He was called to apologise to the SAJBD, which he refused to do.

Masuku and Cosatu were ordered to pay legal costs.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/bongani-masuku-guilty-of-hate-speech-must-apologise-to-sa-jewish-board-of-deputies-20170629

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