Visvin Reddy has appeared in the Chatsworth Magistrate’s Court on incitement charges following a video in which he purportedly threatened violence and unrest in KwaZulu-Natal.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said the charge is that of contravening Section 17 of the Riotous Assemblies Act.
“His appearance follows a video clip which was circulated on social media, in which Reddy, addresses a public gathering, and makes the alleged inciting comments,” said NPA spokesperson, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara.
She added that Reddy appeared in court on summons, and the matter was transferred to the Durban Regional Court for the next appearance on June 14.
In the clip, Reddy said no South African will go to the polls if MK Party is not on the ballot.
“We are sending a loud and clear message, if these courts which are sometimes captured, if they stop MK Party, there will be anarchy in this country. There will be riots like you have never seen in this country. There will be no elections,” he said in the video.
However, Reddy maintains that the comments were misconstrued.
“I would like to emphasise that the edited clip shared widely on social media, which formed the basis for these charges, does not accurately reflect the full context of my speech. In the complete discourse, it is evident that I was directing my comments to President Cyril Ramaphosa, urging him to ensure the preparedness of our country's law enforcement agencies in handling potential unrest,” Reddy said.
He added that his intention was not to incite violence, but rather to draw attention to the dire consequences that were witnessed following the arrest of former President Jacob Zuma in July 2021.
“Additionally, I voiced my concerns about the court challenge aimed at excluding the MK party from the ballot paper. I want to stress once again that my words were in no way intended to incite violence,” Reddy said.
IOL