Trade unionist leader Zwelinzima Vavi on Monday sought to clarify his ”kill for Zuma” remark made at the weekend as the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) laid a criminal charge against him.
Meanwhile, South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) spokesperson Vincent Moaga said the SAHRC would write a letter to Vavi ”to express our contempt” at his statement.
In a media release to ”set the record straight”, Vavi, the general secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), said he was talking about the willingness to lay down one’s own life for a struggle comrade.
”I went further to say yes, for one another and for our leaders we are prepared to lay down our lives. Yes, for our revolution we are prepared to shoot and kill. I singled out [African National Congress leader] Jacob Zuma to make an example.
”I said because Jacob Zuma is one of us and is one of our leaders, for him and for our revolution we are prepared to lay down our lives and for him we are prepared to shoot and kill.”
The DA’s leader in Parliament, Sandra Botha, said she laid a criminal charge against Vavi on Monday.
”I have today [Monday] laid a charge of incitement to commit a crime against … Zwelinzima Vavi at Cape Town central police station for echoing ANC Youth League president Julius Malema’s ‘kill for Zuma’ remarks in Kempton Park on Saturday.
”This follows a similar charge laid against Malema by the DA last week,” she said.
”These statements could very well incite real violence if repeated often enough — especially in the event that Zuma’s presidential bid is scuppered ahead of the next election,” said Botha.
Vavi’s comments were made at the funeral of Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union vice-president Pretty Shuping on Saturday.
This came after Malema said the youth league’s members were ”prepared to take up arms and kill for Zuma”.
The SAHRC has given Malema until next week Wednesday to apologise for his statement, which he has refused to do so far.
Moaga said the commission discussed Vavi’s comments at a meeting on Monday morning and had decided to write a letter to him to ”express our contempt”.
”It is not as if we are saying that people must not debate and discuss issues … but whatever discourse they engage in must be within the confines of the Constitution.
”We think it is not advisable to use such language as they have been using; whether it is figurative or not, it is still not acceptable,” said Moaga.
He said that if Malema had not apologised by next week Wednesday, the commission could either decide to give him more time to respond, or it could subpoena him to appear for a hearing before the SAHRC.
The SAHRC would then make a recommendation and if the respondent failed to adhere to that, the commission could take the matter to the courts. — Sapa