EFF Secretary-General faces hate speech complaint for ‘explosive’ Tweet

AfriForum and the EFF are set to go head-to-head over a case of “hate speech” once more, after the civil rights group lodged a complaint against the Red Berets’ Secretary-General Godrich Gardee. The politician was roundly lambasted for his reaction to a Facebook message, posted by a controversial pastor.

Why Godrich Gardee is facing a hate speech complaint

Angus Buchan is due to lead a mass religious rally at the Loftus Rugby Stadium in Pretoria next February. However, his remarks – claiming only Afrikaaners and Jewish people “have a covenant with God” – led some to see red. You can put Godrich Gardee down on that list, as the EFF SG Tweeted that “limpet mines” must be hidden in the ground during the event.

“That stadium needs some limpet mines booby-trapped around it prior to that date. Then let’s see what happens to the only people who have a ‘covenant with God’. I know this boer religious fanatic is misrepresenting the Jewish people, but he must be banned from our television screens”.

Godrich Gardee’s response to Angus Buchan’s message

EFF vs AfriForum in fresh hate speech case

Ernst van Zyl is the campaign officer at AfriForum. He and his colleagues have taken offence to the message posted earlier this week. They’ve responded by filing complaint under section 18 of the Riotous Meetings Act 17 of 1956 – the same “hate speech” law Julius Malema is alleged to have contravened with his call for land grabs.

AfriForum view the remarks as “disturbing”, despite signs of clear agitation against the EFF member. They state that the violent threats have “no place in society”, and that the state must take proper action against Godrich Gardee.

“The disturbing tweet by the EFF secretary general seems to indicate that the party believes it could incite violence against South African citizens without bearing any consequences. Violent threats of this nature have no place in society, especially if it comes from the secretary general of the third largest political party in South Africa”

“The civil rights organization has therefore taken steps to ensure that justice is done through the correct legal channels. We urge the authorities to take proper action against Gardee to ensure accountability and to act as a deterrent to those who wish to make such a violent threat in the future.”

Ernst van Zyl, campaign officer at AfriForum

.@afriforum lê klag teen EFF se sekretaris-generaal oor kleefmyn-twiet.
#GodrichGardee pic.twitter.com/BOGeMALzJo

— AfriForum (@afriforum) November 7, 2019