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The Democratic Alliance in KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday said it intended laying charges of crimen injuria against Dawie Kriel, who posted an offensive Facebook post relating to fireworks over the Hindu festival of Diwali, on Sunday night.
The party condemned Kriel for referring to the Hindu community as “idol worshippers” and “devil disciples”, who should “piss off back to … [their] dark hole”.
In a fit of rage, Kriel took to Facebook to express his dislike for fireworks which were set off over the weekend during the Festival of Light.
He wrote: “Same story every year. Despite the outcry about crackers every year and in spite of the ban on the imports, Zuma still gives the Guptas and company licence to import that shit by the container load. Profit profit profit.
“To those idol worshippers and devil disciples who buy them in the name of religion, piss-off back to your dark hole in the backwoods of India you dickhead!! I could strangle you morons with my bare hands and derive great pleasure in watching your face turn blue and your tongue pop out.”
He has since posted an apology for his rant, which he said was posted “in anger”, and has undertaken to promote what he called “Divali” with bang-free fireworks. He has also taken down the post.
DA KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Haniff Hoosen said Kriel’s utterances had no place in the country’s Constitutional democracy.
“It is disgustingly hateful and fundamentally undermines the dignity of many South Africans.” Hoosen said the party had welcomed the decision by the South African Human Rights Commission to investigate the matter.
ANC provincial secretary Super Zuma was on Monday quoted as having said: “We are determined to make an example of racists who chance their hand and think they will get away with it. Racists are a tiny, badly bred minority who must be isolated in our communities and be forced to bear the consequences of the actions.”
He was referring to a case where the ANC took Scottburgh’s Penny Sparrow to the Equality Court for her racist rants on Facebook. – News24
