Outrage over Andile Mngxitama's holocaust tweets

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) is appalled by a “demeaning and hurtful” holocaust tweet purportedly made by Black First Land First (BLF) leader Andile Mngxitama.

The tweet‚ posted early on Thursday‚ said: “For those claiming the legacy of the holocaust is ONLY negative think about the lampshades and Jewish soap.”

A statement issued by Wendy Kahn‚ national director of the SAJBD‚ said on Thursday: “With this ugly‚ jeering remark‚ Mngxitama has portrayed not just the deliberate murder of Jewish people but even the supposed reduction of their remains to everyday objects as something to be treated as a joke.

“It is deeply distressing that anyone could so casually and publicly dehumanise an entire people in this way. How much more outrageous it is when emanating from a public figure who heads up a political voice.”

Mngxitama was not immediately available for comment on Thursday.

Kahn said the reference to how Jews became victims of one of history’s most appalling crimes displayed “outright contempt for basic humanitarian‚ non-racial values‚ together with a complete lack of compassion for human suffering.”

“Civilised society‚ and certainly South Africa with its stained history of human rights abuses‚ has no place for those who condone the merciless massacre of millions of innocent people in the most cruel way.”

The SAJBD said that it was deciding whether to take further action against Mngxitama.