The UDM has lodged a formal complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) against former Ukhozi FM presenter Ngizwe Mchunu following a homophobic rant he allegedly posted on TikTok.

The Witness reports that the video, which has since been deleted, allegedly showed Mchunu criticising a same-sex couple who got married over the weekend in traditional African attire.

One of the grooms was dressed in traditional Zulu gear, something Mchunu described as an insult.

“You guys are taking the power in our warrior attire and sleeping with each other. A man who sleeps with another man is rubbish.

“You guys are causing big problems for us. Somizi must take his people and leave this country, South Africa,” he said, among other remarks.

Mchunu also allegedly claimed that gay men who wear traditional Zulu outfits were offending the Amabutho (Zulu warriors).

UDM representative Mxolisi Makhubu, in a formal letter to the SAHRC, said that Mchunu’s comments amounted to hate speech and incitement to violence against the LGBTQIA+ community.

“His recent utterances, although since deleted, garnered more than one million views online, with hundreds of comments openly calling for the public execution of queer people,” Makhubu said.

He added that deleting the video did not absolve Mchunu of responsibility.

“Once words of violence are released, they cannot be recalled, and the climate of fear they create remains long after deletion,” said Makhubu.

According to Makhubu, Mchunu’s remarks cannot be dismissed as cultural opinion.

“They constitute a direct attack on queer South Africans, effectively denying them their cultural birthright and their right to belong to the communities into which they were born.

“His conduct therefore falls squarely within the definition of hate speech and incitement to violence under South African law.”

Mchunu has described himself as the president of Amabinqa, a group focused on preserving Zulu culture.

He is also known as a strong supporter of former president Jacob Zuma and was among those identified as instigators of the July 2021 unrest through his social media posts.

Mchunu had not commented on the matter at the time of publishing.

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