MK party MP Reddy fined after threatening ‘civil war’ at rally
· Citizen
uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) Party MP Visvin Reddy has been sentenced to a R30 000 fine or 10 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to incitement for threatening “civil war” if his party wasn’t on the ballots.
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The 55-year-old pleaded guilty in the Durban Regional Court to a charge of incitement to commit public violence.
Reddy pleads guilty to incitement over civil war remarks
Reddy’s guilty plea relates to an incident on 5 March 2024. He addressed a political gathering in Shallcross, Durban, in the run-up to the 2024 national and provincial elections.
The gathering formed part of the MK party’s campaigning activities. Reddy represents the party as a member of parliament (MP).
Widely reported disputes and litigation surrounded the MK party’s registration and participation in the 2024 elections. This was happening at the time of the speech.
“Reddy addressed the crowd, stating that there would be ‘civil war and anarchy’ in the country if the MK party did not appear on the ballot paper,” said the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara.
“He further said that there would be ‘no elections and no one in the country would vote.'”
Remarks went viral
Reddy’s remarks went viral on social media, and news platforms reported the footage.
Ramkisson-Kara said that in his guilty plea, Reddy acknowledged his actions were unlawful and intentional. The MP also acknowledged his words could reasonably lead members of the public to engage in violent conduct.
“He accepted that as a public representative and political leader, he bears a heightened responsibility to ensure that his speech does not encourage unlawful conduct,” she said.
“He also accepts that although no violence ensued, the legal test has regard for foreseeable consequences of the words spoken.”
Apology videos
Ramkisson-Kara said the court considered Reddy’s later actions when accepting the guilty plea. Shortly after his remarks, Reddy published videos on social media and news platforms apologising and promoting non-violence during the elections.
The Durban Regional Court also noted that the Electoral Court had sanctioned Reddy on the same set of facts.
For this contravention, the Electoral Court fined him R150 000 and suspended the fine for five years. The suspension required him not to contravene the relevant section of the Electoral Act or make statements undermining electoral processes.
In the criminal case, and following his guilty plea, the court sentenced Reddy to pay a R30 000 fine or serve 10 months’ imprisonment. The court suspended half of the sentence for five years on condition that he is not convicted of incitement to commit public violence.
NPA reminds leaders of ‘consequences for inciting words’
Ramkisson-Kara said the NPA hopes this sentence serves as a deterrent.
“The offence of incitement to commit public violence, whether in person or on any platform, is a serious criminal offence,” she said.
“Members of society, particularly those who hold public positions, are reminded that there are consequences for inciting words spoken and that the NPA will not hesitate to hold them accountable.”