Johannesburg - The African National Congress (ANC) laid criminal charges against singer Steve Hofmeyr at the Johannesburg Central police station on Monday afternoon.
The decision to lay criminal charges against Hofmeyr follows death threats made by Hofmeyr directed to South Africa’s ambassador to Denmark, Zinzi Mandela-Hlongwane and the Democratic Alliance (DA) member of parliament, Phumzile Van Damme.
The ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe said they have decided to lay charges at the Johannesburg Central because of its proximity to the party’s headquarters, and that they will be visiting the police station weekly to monitor the progress of the case.
According to Mabe, the party is concerned about the rise in racial disputes in the country and he said that is why the party wanted the case against Hofmeyr to be exemplary.
“We want this case to be used to consolidate the renewal that we have been talking about, we want this case to be used to unite our people. That is why we are taking this decisive action,” he said.
Mabe added that the party will always act to protect the rights of others regardless of their political affiliation.
“We have also in the statement included Phumzile Van Damme who is an MP representing the Democratic Alliance in the National Assembly, because the constitution of this country protects her as well,” he added.
According to Mabe, former President Thabo Mbeki’s views to recall Mandela-Hlongwane are not the views of the party, and that can only be attended to by the Department of International Relations.
“Former President Mbeki was expressing his own views, and those are his views. He did not ask the ANC for permission before he raised his views, so we cannot go and share sentiments which were not discussed with us before,” Mabe said.
Mabe was accompanied by the ANC lawyer Krish Naidoo and the ANC national communications manager Cornelius Monama.