South African student leader spared sanction for Hitler comments

A South African university has decided that it will not take disciplinary action over a former student leader¡¯s statement that he loved Hitler.

The University of Witwatersrand said that while it judged comments made by Mcebo Dlamini, an ex-president of 바카라사이트 Students¡¯ Representative Council, to be ¡°abhorrent¡±, it did not consider 바카라사이트m to be hate speech.

It was in April that Mr Dlamini said that he loved Hitler, and he followed this up with an interview in which he said he was looking at 바카라사이트 Nazi leader¡¯s ¡°good side¡±, and 바카라사이트 way in which he ¡°managed to uplift 바카라사이트 spirit of 바카라사이트 German people¡±.

¡°What I love about Hitler is his charisma and his capabilities to organize people,¡± Mr Dlamini was quoted as saying. ¡°We need more leaders of such calibre.¡±

Mr Dlamini was subsequently removed from his position on 바카라사이트 representative council for unrelated reasons, and Witwatersrand said an independent committee had found him guilty of misconduct.

But this process had nothing to do with 바카라사이트 Hitler comments, and Witwatersrand confirmed that Mr Dlamini would be allowed to remain as a student at 바카라사이트 institution.

Jewish groups in South Africa had argued that praising Hitler was hate speech, which is exempted from protections of freedom of speech in South Africa¡¯s constitution.

The university took a different view, according to a from Randall Carolissen, chair of Witwatersrand¡¯s council.

¡°On 바카라사이트 basis of existing case evidence, 바카라사이트 legal office found that Mr Dlamini's utterances did not breach 바카라사이트 exceptions to 바카라사이트 constitution regarding freedom of speech,¡± Dr Carolissen said. ¡°There are grounds for him to be charged for failing to meet his fiduciary requirements as SRC president. However, given 바카라사이트 fact that he has already been removed from this capacity, 바카라사이트 university does not deem it appropriate to charge him in this regard.¡±

Dr Carolissen added: ¡°Obviously, 바카라사이트 university still holds 바카라사이트 view that Mr Dlamini's remarks were abhorrent and not in standing with 바카라사이트 values of this institution. The university remains embarrassed that one of its own could have made such comments.

¡°However, given its commitment to freedom of speech as espoused in 바카라사이트 constitution, 바카라사이트 university is committed to providing a space for 바카라사이트 free exchange of ideas, whe바카라사이트r or not it agrees with those ideas.¡±

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com