S African man interdicted for spreading hatred against Indians

South African authorities have banned a leader of a radical forum for allegedly inciting racial hatred and violence against the Indian-origin people in KwaZulu-Natal province, home to about a third of the country's 1.4 million-strong community.
Willies Mchunu, the provincial minister for Transport and Community Safety joined his colleague Ravi Pillay, provincial minister for Human Settlements and Public Works, to secure an urgent interdict in the Pietermaritzburg High Court against Phumlani Mfeka, a member of the radical Mazibuye African Forum.
The Forum has been very vocal in recent months in its claims that Indians discriminate against and exploit the black community in all spheres of life.

Mchunu is the chairman and Pillay a member of the Social Cohesion Committee set up by the provincial government to seek ways of better relations between the various communities.
Mchunu said in an affidavit in court that he and Pillay were in a meeting of the Provincial Executive Council on Friday when Pillay picked up on his mobile phone a message written by Mfeka, the text of which promoted anti-Indian sentiment and advocated violence.
"He (Mfeka) and the organisation (Mazibuye African Forum) have received much media attention due to derogatory remarks they have made regarding persons of Indian descent. These remarks were not, however, as militant as the (current one)," the statement continued.

"The last Twitter statement and the message sent to the second applicant (Pillay) are very serious and indeed incite racial hatred, violence and postulate the flow of blood in the province.

"It also refers back to 1949 and 1985 when there indeed were attacks on people of Indian-origin within KZN," it said.
The two dates refer to incidents in which there were severe violent clashes between the indigenous Zulu community and Indian-origin neighbours in the province which left many dead, injured and homeless.
Mchunu and Pillay asked that Mfeka "be interdicted and restrained from inciting or advocating hatred against and discriminating against members of the Indian community".

They further asked for Mfeka to be banned from "making any statement which may incite racial violence".
After the interdict was granted by Justice Piet Koen, Mchunu said they would lay criminal charges against Mfeka and refer the matter to the Human Rights Commission as well.
Political parties across the board unanimously decried Phumlani Mfeka's racist remarks.
ANC secretary in KZN, Sihle Zikalala told the weekly Sunday Tribune: "We are against any statements or remarks that will divide our society."
Blessed Gwala, national chairman of the mainly Zulu Inkatha Freedom Party cautioned that Mfeka's conduct was dangerous.
"If he is not called to order, this thing will spiral out of control and might result in a bloodbath. Indians are a part of us. Our Indian brothers and sisters contribute a lot to our economy," Gwala told the weekly.