Retired KwaZulu-Natal estate agent Penny Sparrow has been ordered to pay R150000 to the Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Foundation after being found guilty of hate speech.
In his judgment‚ Equality Court magistrate Irfaan Khalil said the words posted by Sparrow on her Facebook page on January 3 constituted hate speech and were a serious affront to human dignity and black people in general.
She has 60 days to comply with the judgment.
Sparrow was also interdicted and restrained from publishing, propagating‚ advocating or communicating hate speech in the future.
ANC provincial secretary Super Zuma welcomed the judgment‚ saying it sent a clear message. “Those who think they can make racist remarks can’t run away from the court.”
Sparrow, who caused an outcry on social media after calling black people “monkeys”‚ was a no-show in the Equality Court in Scottburgh on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast yesterday.
She went to ground immediately during the storm over her racist remarks.
Her daughter‚ Charmaine Cowie‚ told the court her mother couldn’t be present because she feared for her life, and because she was sick with diabetes. She said her mother was a pensioner who was divorced and officially homeless.
In his ruling‚ magistrate Khalil said that Sparrow’s post received “unprecedented coverage‚ nationally and internationally.
“With it came a great deal of hurt‚ shame‚ embarrassment and anger for South Africans of all races.”
He said there had been a dramatic increase of reported incidents of racism and hate speech in South Africa. “The South African Human Rights Commission has publicly reported that this year alone over 230 cases of racism were registered with the commission.
“There can be little doubt there are many other instances of racism never reported, which never reach the public domain.”
The clerk of the Equality Court was directed to submit the matter to the directorate of public prosecutions for consideration regarding instituting criminal proceedings. Sparrow was ordered to pay the costs.
lIn a second hate speech case, Capetonian Matthew Theunissen agreed to do community service in a disadvantaged area for three to six months. Anger management therapy‚ anti-racism research and no sharing on social media are also on his horizon.
This was part of a settlement reached with the South African Human Rights Commission‚ which was asked to investigate him for hate speech.
The commission held a conciliation meeting on Tuesday to conclude its investigation into a Facebook post by Theunissen on May 2 which said: “So no more sporting events for South Africa. I’ve never been more proud that to say our government are a bunch of k*****s...yes I said it so go f**k yourselves you black f***ing c***s.”
His post followed Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula’s announcement that certain national sporting codes will be suspended from participating internationally after they failed to meet transformations targets. — Tiso Black Star Group Digital
Sparrow fined for hate speech - ordered to pay R150000
In his judgment‚ Equality Court magistrate Irfaan Khalil said the words posted by Sparrow on her Facebook page on January 3 constituted hate speech and were a serious affront to human dignity and black people in general.
She has 60 days to comply with the judgment.
Sparrow was also interdicted and restrained from publishing, propagating‚ advocating or communicating hate speech in the future.
ANC provincial secretary Super Zuma welcomed the judgment‚ saying it sent a clear message. “Those who think they can make racist remarks can’t run away from the court.”
Sparrow, who caused an outcry on social media after calling black people “monkeys”‚ was a no-show in the Equality Court in Scottburgh on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast yesterday.
She went to ground immediately during the storm over her racist remarks.
Her daughter‚ Charmaine Cowie‚ told the court her mother couldn’t be present because she feared for her life, and because she was sick with diabetes. She said her mother was a pensioner who was divorced and officially homeless.
In his ruling‚ magistrate Khalil said that Sparrow’s post received “unprecedented coverage‚ nationally and internationally.
“With it came a great deal of hurt‚ shame‚ embarrassment and anger for South Africans of all races.”
He said there had been a dramatic increase of reported incidents of racism and hate speech in South Africa. “The South African Human Rights Commission has publicly reported that this year alone over 230 cases of racism were registered with the commission.
“There can be little doubt there are many other instances of racism never reported, which never reach the public domain.”
The clerk of the Equality Court was directed to submit the matter to the directorate of public prosecutions for consideration regarding instituting criminal proceedings. Sparrow was ordered to pay the costs.
lIn a second hate speech case, Capetonian Matthew Theunissen agreed to do community service in a disadvantaged area for three to six months. Anger management therapy‚ anti-racism research and no sharing on social media are also on his horizon.
This was part of a settlement reached with the South African Human Rights Commission‚ which was asked to investigate him for hate speech.
The commission held a conciliation meeting on Tuesday to conclude its investigation into a Facebook post by Theunissen on May 2 which said: “So no more sporting events for South Africa. I’ve never been more proud that to say our government are a bunch of k*****s...yes I said it so go f**k yourselves you black f***ing c***s.”
His post followed Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula’s announcement that certain national sporting codes will be suspended from participating internationally after they failed to meet transformations targets. — Tiso Black Star Group Digital
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