ANCYL distances itself from 'Keep calm and kill Jews' Twitter account

29 July 2014 - 13:00 By Sapa
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
ANC supporters at the ANCYL election festival. File photo.
ANC supporters at the ANCYL election festival. File photo.
Image: Gallo Images / Daily Sun / Lucky Morajane

The ANC Youth League on Tuesday distanced itself from the Twitter account @ANCYLVote2014 which had been used to make anti-Semitic statements.

"This account is not managed or sanctioned by our national office or any of the ANC Youth League's provincial and regional offices," spokesman Bandile Masuku said in a statement.

"As the ANCYL, we distance the members and supporters of the ANCYL from all the statements and comments that have been issued [on] @ANCYLVote2014, including the recent Jewish hate comment."

The account was subsequently deleted from the social networking site.

The ANCYL called on its members and supporters to interact on social media with care and in a constitutionally accepted manner.

The SA Jewish Board of Deputies reportedly wrote a letter to the ANC on Sunday to act against hate speech on the Twitter account.

According to The Star the Twitter post said "Keep calm and kill Jews".

The party distanced itself from the account.

Spokesman Keith Khoza said the party did not encourage hate speech and would look into the person who created the account.

subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now