All Races Deserve To Be Treated Equally – Cape Party
The widely controversial “fuck-white-people” exhibit being displayed in the
Iziko SA National Gallery will face its day in court this week.
The Cape Party is charging Iziko art gallery with contravening hate speech
laws and demanding they pay a R150 000 fine.
Cape Party leader, Jack Miller says “We are calling on the court to condemn
this exhibit as blatant hate speech and have the offensive poster removed.”
He further stated that “We expect the government-funded gallery to issue a
public apology and pay a fine of R150 000, as this was the same ruling
given to Penny Sparrow for her racist public comments.”
The Judge, DM Thulare, will have to decide whether the exhibit is in
contravention of the Equality Act which states that no person may unfairly
discriminate against any person on the grounds of race.
The exhibit has received considerable public attention over the last year
drawing condemnation from Afriforum, the Democratic Alliance and Freedom
Front Plus. A case of hate speech was opened with the Human Rights
Commission by a member of the public, Mr Tshepo Lebopo, in September of
2016.
Heated debates have ignited on social media over the artwork. In February
of this year, members of the Cape Party allegedly assaulted security guards
and defaced the “fuck-white-people” exhibit in the gallery by pasting a
“Love Thy Neighbour” poster over the display.
In addition to the case of hate speech against Iziko art gallery, Miller
also attacked president Jacob Zuma for his recent comments on public
protest. Zuma claimed that those protesting against the decision to replace
the finance minister were white racists. Miller said “This is absurd. White
minorities are being used as a scape goat to avoid government
responsibility for their own failings.”
When asked what he thought the Cape Party’s chances were of winning the
court case, Miller replied, “All people should be treated equally before
the law. We trust the honourable judge will make the right decision.”
The “fuck-white-people” slogan, as stated by the artist Dean Hutton,
emerged from student protests from the #FeesMustFall movement and was
supposed to be an artistic expression of black frustration.
Iziko National Gallery has stated that the exhibit is not hate speech but a
means to engage debate around racism inherent in the white identity and
social structures.
They contest that “The works that ISANG exhibits may awe, illuminate,
challenge, unsettle, confound, provoke, and at times, offend.” and “We
support the freedom to exhibit such work.”
