PA lays criminal complaint against Open Chats podcasters for insulting coloured community
The party said the next steps included lodging a case in the Equality Court and submitting a complaint at the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) after the podcasters referred to coloured people as crazy and claimed they have sexual relations with their relatives.
FILE: Patriotic Alliance leader and Sport, Arts and Culture minister, Gayton McKenzie. Picture: Katlego Jiyane/Eyewitness News
CAPE TOWN - The Patriotic Alliance (PA) has laid a criminal complaint against podcasters for insulting the coloured community, and laid out a further series of actions it plans to take against them in a legal letter.
On Wednesday night, party leader, Gayton McKenzie, told supporters that the party would also protest against the SABC for streaming the offensive episode of the Open Chats podcast.
The party said the next steps included lodging a case in the Equality Court and submitting a complaint at the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) after the podcasters referred to coloured people as crazy and claimed they have sexual relations with their relatives.
ALSO READ: DA reports Open Chats podcasters to SAHRC for offensive episode on coloureds
McKenzie said that it was time coloured people stood up against stereotyping and racial discrimination.
In a lawyer’s letter to the Open Chats podcasters, the PA said that their comments in the offending episode constituted hate speech.
"I have no intention of destroying them. But if we do nothing, we will destroy them and we will destroy other kids. It’s become too easy to insult coloured people in this country."
While McKenzie was addressing supporters on Wednesday night, the party’s new recruit, former MP Liam Jacobs, was live recording his visit to the Brooklyn Police Station, where he lodged a complaint of crimen injuria.
McKenzie said that his party would also march on the studio where the podcast is recorded and to the SABC for failing to check the episode before flighting it.
"What makes me furious is, that’s not live. So where is the control?"
The offensive discussion has since been removed from the episode and in an apology posted on their platforms, the podcasters say they never intended to cause harm, neither to promote racism and discrimination.