WATCH | Adam Catzavelos served for hate speech by Human Rights Commission

The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has opened a hate speech case against Adam Catzavelos over his racial utterances.

SAHRC spokesperson Buang Jones said they would ask the Equality Court to find that Catzavelos's utterances were hate speech and that he should pay a fine.

Catzavelos posted a video of himself on a beach in Greece last year, in which he used the k-word when expressing joy that there were no black people around. 

"We find the k-word to be demeaning and degrading. Courts in South Africa have pronounced on the matter. We find this to be unbecoming. We hope the court will send a clear message and deter other people from making racial slurs," Jones said.

He was speaking outside the Randburg Magistrate's Court, where Catzavelos appeared on Tuesday on a charge of crimen injuria.

Catzavelos's case was postponed to June 13 for him to appoint a lawyer.

Jones said the SAHRC would await a court date from the clerk of the Equality Court for a pretrial conference.

"We've served his legal team with papers."