‘Mngxitama does not belong in parliament’: Parties want MK member punished over farm attack post
Police arrested five suspects this weekend in connection with a farm attack where Donovan Marx was shot and had his ears severed.
Political parties are seeking to punish uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party parliamentarian Andile Mngxitama for a now-deleted social media post that allegedly promoted violence following a farm attack. On Saturday evening, Mngxitama shared his views on a farm attack that took place near Ventersdorp earlier in the week, describing the attacker's act of slicing off the victim's ears as a symbol of their refusal to listen.
The post included graphic references to the victim being killed and fed to pigs. Despite subsequently deleting the post, screenshots circulated, drawing attention to the brutality of farm attacks. The Freedom Front Plus (FF+) and Democratic Alliance (DA) have both indicated their intention to have Mngxitama disciplined or investigated for potential violations of hate speech regulations.
The DA's agriculture spokesperson, Desiree van der Walt, called Mngxitama's comments "patently unconstitutional" and urged his discipline, stating that there is "no place in South Africa for dog whistles like this which can lead to further violence and intimidation." The FF+ parliamentarian and chief whip, Heloïse Denner, went further, threatening to lodge complaints with both parliament's ethics committee and the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), labeling the remarks as "blatant hate speech" and "typical of the brutality characterizing many farm attacks."
Denner added that members of parliament must conduct themselves in a manner that prioritizes the public's interests and the parliament's wellbeing, implying Mngxitama's actions disqualify him from serving in the legislative body. The farm attack resulted in the arrest of five suspects, aged between 26 and 56, over the weekend. Police seized four firearms, including two linked to the incident, as well as clothing and jewelry.
The suspects are scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday to face charges of attempted murder, house robbery, and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
