Publications
Partners
Durban - Preliminary investigation into the alleged utterances made by the King Goodwill Zwelithini have been completed, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) said on Friday.
The commission was investigating alleged utterances which are believed to have allegedly fuelled the spate of xenophobic attacks in KwaZulu-Natal earlier this year. The king made the comments at a moral regeneration event in Pongolo, northern KwaZulu-Natal in March.
SAHRC’s spokesperson Isaac Mangena said the commission received 31 complaints between April and June.
“Some of the complainants allege that the utterances made by the king amounted to hate speech against foreign nationals, while some linked the utterances to the subsequent violent attacks against foreigners.”
Mangena said the commission has prepared a preliminary report and the report will be served on the respondent, Zwelithini, on Monday November 30.
“This process is an opportunity for the complainants and the respondent to comment on the preliminary findings and recommendations of the commission, before the commission issues the final report.”
Mangena said parties had until January 16 to give back feedback or comments.
He said the commission expects to release the final report by the end of February 2016.
