The statements made by Mr Buang Jones, the national legal head of the Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), on Thursday during a meeting in Langebaan about Eben Etzebeth's alleged use of hate speech are extremely premature and biased.
The HRC is supposed to do its work without prejudice, as Jones rightly pointed out, and yet Jones said that the HRC wants to use Etzetbeth to set a so-called example, thus, the HRC has already found him guilty without giving him an opportunity to defend himself.
The FF Plus condemns all forms of racism against any member of society. The HRC clearly has double standards as the Etzetbeth case is being handled with the utmost urgency, while other complaints, like those against the leader of the BLF, Andile Mnqxitama, regarding his racist statements and hate speech are not given the same kind of attention.
One would expect a more responsible approach from the HRC, like allowing Etzebeth to return home after the Rugby World Cup and then giving him a fair opportunity to defend himself against the allegations of hate speech.
The HRC is supposed to protect the human rights of all South Africans, including Etzebeth's.
The HRC has acted extremely irresponsibly and it is utterly unacceptable that they have already labelled Etzebeth as guilty during a public meeting and in the media even though he has not been found guilty. A person is supposed to be considered innocent until proven otherwise and not the other way around.
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