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CGF ARTICLES, OPINIONS & EDITORIALS

‘HURTFUL, OFFENSIVE AND DISTURBING SPEECH’ MAY LEND ITSELF TO UNINTENDED AND SEVERE CONSEQUENCES FOR SOCIAL COHESION IN SOUTH AFRICA (2019-04-11)

By Terrance M. Booysen and peer reviewed by Kerry Gantley (Partner: Cowan-Harper-Madikizela Attorneys)

We all know that hate speech and free speech are entirely different concepts, yet in South Africa what you can and cannot say as a responsible citizen or public figure remains a divisive issue.

Vicki Momberg, Adam Catzevelos, Penny Sparrow, Kessie Nair, Velaphi Kumalo, Julius Malema, Edward Zuma and Andile Mngxitama are all recent examples of people from different ethnic backgrounds, whether as ordinary citizens or public figures, who have either fallen foul of or perceived to have fallen foul of hate speech laws.

INTOLERANT AND UNSOCIABLE BEHAVIOUR TO BECOME LEGISLATED (2017-01-18)

By Terrance M. Booysen and reviewed by Osborne Molatudi (Partner: Hogan Lovells)

South Africa’s first black President, the late Nelson Mandela famously said, “No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion.  People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”  It is against this backdrop that the issue of racism needs to be tackled, especially in light of the recent racist utterances and numerous incidents of vicious crimes which have been perpetrated in South Africa under the guise of racial hate and the associated social intolerances.