Two complaints over a cartoon called “Jesus is a Shangaan” were submitted to the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), it said on Friday.
Spokesman Vincent Moaga said he could not divulge who had made the complaints and that the process of investigating whether the complaints were valid was underway.
The cartoon, which has been seen by thousands on the internet, is part of the iziKhokho Show by Mdu Comics. It shows a doctor diagnosing a black Jesus as “Shangaan” after a DNA test.
The doctor prepares him for the news by saying “There is no easy way of telling you this... You are a Shangaan”.
Moaga said after the SAHRC received a complaint it embarked on a preliminary investigation to determine whether it made a case for human rights abuse.
It would also decide whether the SAHRC was the correct institution to deal with the complaint.
In the cartoon Jesus appears devastated that He is Shangaan, saying in soliloquy: “People won't take me seriously”.
After trying to “cure” Himself of His “Shangaan-ness” by scrubbing Himself with oranges, Jesus decides to kill Himself.
Many branches of Christianity consider suicide a grave sin. - Sapa