Kessie Nair appears in court looking relaxed after calling Ramaphosa the k-word

Former convicted fraudster and Durban councillor Kessie Nair appeared briefly on a charge of crimen injuria in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court on Thursday afternoon.

He will remain in custody until September 26 when his bail application will be heard.

Nair had been arrested in Durban by the Hawks earlier in the day after making headlines on Wednesday for posting a video on Tuesday calling President Cyril Ramaphosa the k-word. A criminal case was soon lodged against Nair at the Bayview police station by former eThekwini councillor Brandon Pillay.

Kessie Nair drinks water after his case for calling Pres Cyril Ramaphosa K-word was postponed to Oct 26 for bail application. @TeamNews24 pic.twitter.com/lcI6Orb1Of

— Mxolisi Mngadi (@EmExDurban) September 20, 2018

He looked very relaxed, smiling and laughing in court, apparently perplexed by all the commotion he has caused.

##KessieNair Kessie during his first appearance in Verulam Magistrate Court. @TimesLIVE pic.twitter.com/saM71HJegg

— T. Dlamini (@moskido) September 20, 2018

It is the same crime for which real estate agent Vicki Momberg was found guilty and sent to jail for earlier this year. Further charges could be added, the Hawks said.

#KessieNair facing charges of crimen injuria for calling President Cyril Ramaphosa the k-word has been remanded into custody at Westville Prison pending his bail application next week. @yasantha @TimesLIVE @SundayTimesZA pic.twitter.com/4JekpvDs6T

— Nivashni Nair (@NivashniNair) September 20, 2018

Nair is now an ex-convict who claims to also have links to the 26 prison gang after serving time in jail for corruption. Nair said Ramaphosa was mocking Mandela’s legacy and that he was prepared to go to prison for calling him a “k**fir”, or to even be shot.

On LinkedIn, Nair lists himself as the CEO Founder at Navcare Lifestyle System, and appears to be involved in cryptocurrency.

Nair’s family has said he is physically and mentally unwell and requires immediate help. They said in a statement he has a chronic condition and they distanced themselves from his statements.

Nair had, for his part, been giving interviews denying that what he did was illegal and remained unapologetic. In an interview with eNCA, he seemed to have his own definition of the k-word, without a full understanding of the legal implications of using the word.

His racist rant has been widely condemned, including by the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Nair mentioned Mandela in his video, claiming Ramaphosa was destroying the man’s legacy.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.