Reading news articles and their comment threads, on websites like News24 and IOL, is a special experience. So special, in fact, that I’ve decided to summarise all of them into one simple blog post.

After this, you will never need to read another South African news article, and its comment thread, again.

First, the story.

CAPE TOWN – Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Duis at risus sit amet nisl mattis rutrum. Pellentesque ut elit nisi. Donec accumsan, quam vitae tristique porttitor, erat magna vulputate mauris, non placerat purus ante eu augue. Cras ac gravida elit. Praesent tincidunt ipsum sit amet justo mollis placerat. Aliquam dignissim sapien in libero convallis vel porta est venenatis. Sed in tortor velit, vitae luctus orci.

Donec adipiscing, ante ut aliquet vulputate, sem purus porttitor enim, et tempor nulla arcu ac purus.

Maecenas in luctus mauris.

- SAPA

Then, the comments.

MattK: Well said, professor. Something should be done about that.

Anon2: I’d like to see that prof’s research. Is it publicly available?

WhiteGuy25: Anon2, no. Because the ANC government wants to hide it lol

Zuluboy: WhiteGuy25, go jump. We’re coming for you when Madiba dies.

SKD: hahahahaha!!! see how the blacks f**k up everything!!!

ANC_mylife: wena! it’s that tea lady’s fault! her DA wants to bring back apartheid… we will neva let it happen

Anon345: Zuluboy, you’re fag who can’t read. Ask your baas to teach you.

StupidName: Anon345, you’re a fag too… and a soutpiel

sportsfanatic: f**k this country.. it’s going to the dogs…JUST LIKE ZIMBABWE… i’m moving to Australia as soon as I can

Anon46664: f**k malema! i hope afriforum f**k him up, that baboon!!!!!

Nige: i hate this country… criminals have more rights than us! BRING BACK THE DEATH PENALTY!

SiphoS: nige……my brudda….go back 2 europe where u belong… KILL DA BOER!

Now, go get a cup of coffee.

You’ll thank me later.

This was a difficult cartoon to draw.

I sat on the phone, with a cartoonist mate, and he agreed that, while most of the country wants to see Julius Malema grilled, we must not let emotion muddle our rational thought. Blocking “Dubula Ibhunu” from being sung at political rallies might be a reasonable decision, but an outright state-imposed censorship can potentially lead to a slippery slope of more outright state-imposed censorships. Once such precedents are set, further hate speech rulings can be easily hammered. For example, think of Darren Scott, David Bullard, Deon Maas, Eric Miyeni, Kuli Roberts, and just about anyone else who expresses offensive expression (including cartoonists, comedians, and other entertainers).

Hate speech should attract public opprobrium and condemnation, but ought to be aired in the open rather than festering underground, suppressed by the state. That makes it more visible, and hence easier to combat.[...]As unpalatable as Julius Malema’s songs may be, we’ll pay a much higher price for suppressing them. [Ivo Vegter, Daily Maverick]

To be clear: I think singing that song now is politically and perhaps morally wrong, but not illegal. Certainly not on dignity grounds. [Nic Dawes, Mail & Guardian]

Update

Interesting comment via Facebook:

What a simplistic way of interpreting Eric’s words… Sadly in SA when confronted with uncomfortable truths we resort to rubbishing the messenger.

A few days ago, I wrote about the slippery politically correct slope disguised as hate speech (which is really just a fashionable phrase thrown around by emotional people who struggle to think reasonably).

Or as Steve Hughes puts it, what’s wrong with being offended?