The Johannesburg High Court is set to hear the hate speech case against controversial media personality Ngizwe Mchunu, who allegedly incited hatred against the LGBTQ+ community.
The matter will be heard on Friday, 19 June, after TransHope filed the case in October 2025. The Hate Crimes Working Group (HCWG) later joined the application in support, followed by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).
At the time, the court, sitting as the Equality Court, issued an interim order instructing Mchunu to refrain from organising any anti-LGBTQ+ events or demonstrations and to remove anti-LGBTQ+ material from his platforms.
The court will now consider the substance of the case and decide on further relief sought by the applicants. This includes a public apology from Mchunu to the LGBTQ+ community, sensitisation training, and an appropriate penalty.
Activists Say Hate Speech Fuels Violence
In a statement to MambaOnline, the HCWG welcomed the progress in the matter.
“This case is bigger than one individual,” said Kim Lithgow, Chair of the HCWG.
“There can be no place in our democracy for rhetoric that targets people simply because of who they are or whom they love. When public figures use their platforms to spread messages that dehumanise LGBTQIA+ people, they do more than inflame hatred: they sow division in communities, legitimise discrimination and create an environment in which violence against minority groups becomes a reality.”
In its own statement, the SAHRC also highlighted the harmful impact of inflammatory rhetoric especially when promoted by individuals with public influence.
“Public figures bear a heightened responsibility to uphold constitutional values, including respect for diversity, human dignity, and social cohesion. Statements that incite hatred or perpetuate stigma risk normalising discrimination and can contribute to real-world harm against vulnerable communities,” said the commission.
Concerns Over Delays in the Case
Sazi Jali, founder of TransHope, expressed concern about delays in the matter and alleged links between several incidents targeting LGBTQ+ people and Mchunu’s statements.
“As the person who helped open the case against him, I’ve watched this unfold both politically and personally. Justice delayed is not justice denied — but the delay has a human cost,” said Jali.
“Ngizwe Mchunu must face justice. Hate speech is not free speech when it incites violence. Hate speech is the foundation of hate crime. That is what we are fighting.”
Social Media Posts Sparked Outrage
The case centres on statements Mchunu allegedly made on social media after viral images circulated of a same-sex wedding in which the couple wore traditional attire.
Mchunu reportedly said that he “hates” the LGBTQ+ community and claimed that traditional Zulu attire was “off limits” to queer people, insisting that such garments were reserved for heterosexual men.
He later gathered a group of men carrying beer bottles, sjamboks (leather whips) and knobkerries (traditional Zulu fighting sticks) and descended on KwaMai-Mai, a popular shisa nyama venue in Johannesburg, where he sought to confront queer patrons. Police refused the group entry and dispersed the mob.
Mchunu also verbally attacked queer celebrity Somizi Mhlongo, using explicit and demeaning language.
Mchunu has of late been in the news for championing a high-profile anti-immigrant campaign described by many as xenophobic, and is alleged to have made “racist” anti-Indian statements. He was also recently taken to court by EFF leader Julius Malema for making defamatory remarks against him.
