Statement in Support of SAITF and SERI SA against Hate Speech and Threats

The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) and a coalition of civic organisations issued statements condemning hate speech, cyberbullying, and threats of violence directed at the South African Informal Traders Forum (SAITF) and the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI). The actions are attributed to Councillor Nkululeko Mbundu of ActionSA, the MMC for Economic Development in the City of Johannesburg, following a court victory by SERI and SAITF against illegal evictions.

• Councillor Nkululeko Mbundu, a representative of ActionSA and MMC for Economic Development in the City of Johannesburg, is accused of engaging in hate speech, cyberbullying, and doxing directed at the South African Informal Traders Forum (SAITF) and the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI) on 28 July 2022.
• The threats and cyberbullying followed a successful legal application by SERI on behalf of SAITF in the Gauteng Local Division of the High Court to reverse the illegal eviction of informal traders from the De Villiers trading precinct. Councillor Mbundu reportedly used social media to criticise the application and accuse the Forum of being a front for foreign nationals, leading to the circulation of staff photographs and contact details and subsequent threats of violence.
• The signatories argue that Councillor Mbundu's actions violate the Constitution through xenophobic remarks and conflict with the 2022 State of the National Address's support for informal traders. They further claim that xenophobic actions by former Johannesburg Mayor and ActionSA chairperson Herman Mashaba indicate a pattern of unconstitutional behaviour within both ActionSA and the City of Johannesburg.

APA

Public Affairs Research Institute (2022). Statement in Support of SAITF and SERI SA against Hate Speech and Threats. https://pari.org.za/press-statements-in-support-of-saitf-and-seri-sa-against-hate-speech-and-threats/

Chicago

Public Affairs Research Institute. Statement in Support of SAITF and SERI SA against Hate Speech and Threats. 2022. https://pari.org.za/press-statements-in-support-of-saitf-and-seri-sa-against-hate-speech-and-threats/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Public Affairs Research Institute |title=Statement in Support of SAITF and SERI SA against Hate Speech and Threats |date=2 August 2022 |url=https://pari.org.za/press-statements-in-support-of-saitf-and-seri-sa-against-hate-speech-and-threats/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{publicaffairsresearchinstitute2022statement, author = {{Public Affairs Research Institute}}, title = {{Statement in Support of SAITF and SERI SA against Hate Speech and Threats}}, publisher = {Public Affairs Research Institute}, year = {2022}, month = aug, url = {https://pari.org.za/press-statements-in-support-of-saitf-and-seri-sa-against-hate-speech-and-threats/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }