Zuko Komisa

- The Gauteng High Court has dismissed Kenny Kunene’s appeal against a hate speech ruling.
- The court confirmed that Kunene’s description of Julius Malema as a “cockroach” is hate speech.
- Kunene has been ordered to issue a public apology and is prohibited from repeating the slur.
The Gauteng High Court has dismissed an appeal by politician and businessman Kenny Kunene, upholding a previous Equality Court ruling that his description of Julius Malema as a “cockroach” constitutes hate speech.
The court’s decision, handed down in Johannesburg, confirms the 2023 judgment and brings a close to the legal battle that began with remarks Kunene made during a 2021 interview.
Kunene, a leader of the Patriotic Alliance, had sought to overturn the initial ruling but was unsuccessful.
As a result of the dismissal, Kunene is now legally obligated to issue a public apology to the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, Julius Malema, by the end of September.
Furthermore, the court has placed a permanent restraint on Kunene, prohibiting him from repeating the offensive term or similar slurs against Malema in the future.
READ NEXT: Mpumelelo Mseleku stirs controversy after flaunting picture of wife and baby mama together



