Sodwana guest house owner found guilty of hate speech

Sodwana Bay guest house owner André Slade has been found guilty of unfair discrimination and hate speech by the Human Rights Commission.

Below is the full statement from the commission.

The South African Human Rights Commission’s (“SAHRC”) KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Office instituted an Equality Court Application against the Sodwana Bay Guest House (“First Respondent”) and Mr André Slade (“Second Respondent”) in the Ubombo Magistrates Court‚ following several complaints that were received against them.

The Respondents comments: “we do not accommodate blacks or government employees any longer”‚ were widely circulated in the media and on various social media platforms. Mr. Slade subsequently went on to make further offensive and discriminatory comments publically.

The Presiding Officer‚ Magistrate T. Moodley handed down judgement on 13 February 2018 and made the following order against the Respondents:

1. That the comments and/or conduct amounted to unfair discrimination on the grounds of race and amounted to hate speech;

2. That the comments constituted an impairment of the human dignity of African people and government employees;

3. The Respondents were ordered to pay an amount of R50 000-00‚ to a non-profit organisation‚ Mpilonhle‚ which is located in Mtubatuba‚ payable within 60 days from date of judgement;

4. The Second Respondent was further ordered to remove all materials from his website which are discriminatory‚ demeaning‚ and which have racial undertones;

5. The Respondents were ordered to stop distributing and/or publishing any materials which discriminate and/or incites hatred;

6. The Film and Publication Board of South Africa was directed to monitor the publication‚ distribution and possession of the Second Respondents book‚ “Where to from here: Cognition.”