The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

Following a pre-hearing consultation regarding the Equality Court case brought by the Democratic Alliance (DA) against the Chairperson of the Free State African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL), Thabo Meeko, Mr. Meeko has been compelled to publicly acknowledge that utterances made by him concerning the Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State, Professor Jonathan Jansen, were wrong and could have been interpreted as hate speech. Mr Meeko will be obliged to make this acknowledgment at a press event with myself and Professor Jansen in Bloemfontein on Tuesday next week.

In October last year, the Democratic Alliance (DA) laid a complaint of hate speech with the Equality Court as a result of Mr. Meeko's public statements that Professor Jansen, "is equally a criminal like this racist young students at that university. We agree with the president of the ANC shoot and kill a criminal and that is what we must do comrades" and that Professor Jansen, "must be removed, and not only him, as well as the university council...they must leave the University of the Free State. We must tell him that we have removed far more bigger people in this country than him. This is not a threat, it is going to happen."

Yesterday, an agreement was drafted, according to which, Mr. Meeko will publicly admit not only that what he said was wrong but more importantly that his words may have been interpreted as hate speech.

Through the courts, the DA has forced consequences for this particular ANC Youth League official, who will now be obliged to admit that hate speech has no space in South African society. The ANC Youth League now needs to acknowledge this Equality Court verdict, and apologise publicly to Professor Jansen for their official's behaviour.