Qwelane's insult of aliens excused

JOHANNESBURG -- The Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) yesterday dismissed a listener's complaint against 702 Radio talk show host Jon Qwelane.

The complaint was lodged in July after a programme in which Qwelane said "that the constitution should be suspended to enable the South African police to arrest and deport all illegal immigrants, that some should be shot on sight, and put on a conveyor belt to hell".

Qwelane's comments were made after he had related that a friend of his had been violently attacked, robbed and shot by illegal immigrants. He said the government was unable to stem the influx of illegal immigrants into the country.

The complainant said Qwelane's utterances amounted to hate speech and were an incitement to violence against illegal immigrants.

The BCCSA said in a statement: "Jon Qwelane's utterances -- that the South African government is guilty of gross dereliction of duty in its handling of the 'illegal immigration problem', that a benevolent dictatorship is desirable and preferable, that the South African constitution should be suspended, that illegal immigrants be ruthlessly hunted down, jailed and deported, that they be shot on sight, and that illegal immigrants are guilty of perpetrating violent crimes against law abiding citizens, and do not deserve to be treated as human beings -- do not qualify to be categorised as incitement of imminent violence, or advocacy of hatred based on race or ethnicity that constitutes incitement to cause harm."

The tribunal found that the remarks, although robust, provocative and controversial, fell within his rights to freedom of expression. -- Sapa