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S. Africa solicits public comments for hate crime bill

Xinhua, October 25, 2016 Adjust font size:

In a bid to contain a surge in racism, the South African government on Monday published for public comment the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill.

The recent racist utterances and many other incidents of vicious crimes perpetrated under the influence of racial hate has necessitated further measures to uproot this scourge reminiscent of the apartheid past, Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Michael Masutha said.

The bill, approved for public consultation by the cabinet last week, creates the offences of hate crimes and hate speech and seeks to put in place measures to prevent and combat these offences, Masutha said at a press briefing in Pretoria.

It came as the country had seen an increase in the manifestation of hate speech and hate crimes.

Earlier this year, Penny Sparrow, a former estate agent, made headlines when she vented her displeasure at the number of black people swarming public beaches in Durban during the New Year holiday, likening them to "monkeys." Her comments went viral on social media and caused a public uproar.

According to the bill, a hate crime is committed if a person commits any recognized offence, that is a common law or statutory offence, while being motivated by unlawful bias, prejudice or intolerance, Masutha explained.

The bill will provide additional tools to investigators and prosecutors to hold the perpetrators of hate crimes accountable and provide a means to monitor efforts and trends in addressing hate crimes, he said. Endit