Former Durban Councillor, Kessie Nair, has become a household name in South Africa. His face and name synonymous with racism, following a racist tirade.
Nair recently uploaded a video onto social media, calling South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa the K-word. He further goes on and says Ramaphosa must face charges for both failing and oppressing South Africa.
The five-minute video went viral, reaching scores of South Africans. But, his rant is now seeing him face the full might of the law.
Not only is he in police custody, but he now faces seven charges of crimen injuria ( Which is a crime under South African common law, defined to be the act of “unlawfully, intentionally and seriously impairing the dignity of another.”)
Following the arrest and impending court case, his family are now claiming Nair is mentally unstable and they are distancing themselves from his statements. The accused, on the other hand, says he is mentally sound.
His first court appearance was on September 21 and he was kept in custody for his bail application. On September 26, he yet again made a brief appearance in Verulam Magistrate’s Court and his bail application is now currently underway.
During the court case on September 26, the magistrate heard how Nair needed medical treatment, with his lawyer stating Nair has a heart disease. His mental health is still a matter of discussion in the court proceedings.
The court case will continue on October 1 for further evidence. He will remain in custody.
While Nair claims he is willing to apologise for his words and actions, he is adamant that what he has done, cannot be seen as a criminal act. Nair feels he did it with good intention, drawing people’s attention to the challenges South Africans face.
But, is it fair to blame President Ramaphosa for the challenges that our country faces? Is calling him the K-word not going too far?
If Nair is found guilty, he will be the second person in South African to be put behind bars for using the word.
Vicki Momberg was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, of which one year was suspended, in March this year, following a racist rant in 2016.
On November 3, 2016, she was charged for calling a black police officer the K-word a staggering 48 times. He had come to her aid following a smash-and-grab incident.
Will Nair face a similar sentence? Or will he elude sentencing due to a health-related issue? Do you think all racists should face similar penalties, regardless of their skin colour? Share your thoughts with us.
