ANC KZN condemns 'racist and inflammatory' TikTok video targeting Indian community
'Reckless and ignorant statement'
"Prime Minister Modi’s attendance and the response of South Africans to his visit underscored the long-standing solidarity between India and South Africa, including India’s prominent role in the fight against apartheid, which should never be distorted or ridiculed", said Fanle Sibisi, spokesperson for the ANC in KZN
Image: X / Narendra Modi
THE ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has issued a strong condemnation of a TikTok video by self-described mining entrepreneur Lubabalo Sanqela that questioned the loyalty of Indian South Africans.
The party called the video 'racist and inflammatory,' warning that such rhetoric threatens social cohesion in the province, which has previously experienced racial conflict.
The POST reported on Monday that Sanqela, who describes himself as a mining entrepreneur, circulated the video on social media during the G20 Summit.
In the article community leaders condemned the video, which also questioned the loyalty of Indian South Africans.
The ANC in KZN released a statement on Tuesday.
In the video, he said: “I think we need to have an open discussion about the Indian people living in South Africa, particularly the Indians living in KZN.
Their leader is here. The prime minister of India, Modi, is here in South Africa to attend the G20 meeting. Indian people were naturalised and that is how they got South African citizenship and that is how they got to carry South African IDs.
“They have their own country. Should shit hit the fan, they got India to run to, not South Africa. That's why, at most, when we call them for marches to say let's go and defend South Africa, they will never show up. They never come. They don't also respect our people, our people in the call centres, in their shops, working at garages, they don't respect us. I think it's time we have a discussion about Indian people living in South Africa.”
Following an article published in POST, in which community leaders condemned the video, the ANC in KZN released a statement on Tuesday
Fanle Sibisi, spokesperson for the ANC in KZN, said they strongly condemned the video, and called it racist and inflammatory.
“The ANC in KZN strongly condemns the racist and inflammatory TikTok video that claims South Africans of Indian origin ‘have another country to go to’. This reckless and ignorant statement has no place in our democracy and directly undermines the values upon which our nation was founded.
“South Africa is a constitutional democracy built on equality, dignity and non-racialism. The enduring objective of the ANC is to dismantle the legacy of racism and to build a country in which every citizen, African, Indian, colored or white, belongs by birth, by history and by constitutional right,” added Sibisi.
He said such statements were not only profoundly inoffensive, but they also constitute dangerous incitement that threatens the social cohesion our province continues to nurture.
“The insinuation that South Africans of Indian origin do not support or contribute to this country is factually wrong and deeply unjust.
“As a fledgling democracy, South Africa needs constructive dialogue rooted in truth and responsibility, not sensational online content designed to provoke anger and divide communities. The ANC welcomes the condemnation of this video by civil society, religious leaders, academics, and community structures, who have rightly labelled it offensive, ignorant, and contrary to the principles of our Constitution.
“It is unfortunate that these reckless statements were apparently triggered by our patriots’ appreciative response to an act of solidarity by the Prime Minister of India, His Excellency Narendra Modi, for attending the recently held G20 Summit in the face of clear detractors who did not want the summit to succeed,” added Sibisi.
He said Prime Minister Modi’s attendance and the response of South Africans to his visit underscored the long-standing solidarity between India and South Africa, including India’s prominent role in the fight against apartheid, which should never be distorted or ridiculed.
“The ANC also reminds the public that hate speech is not protected under the freedom of expression.
“Precisely because KZN has, in the past, experienced painful chapters of racial conflict, it cannot afford to entertain rhetoric that jeopardises peace and unity. The ANC calls on all leaders, content creators, and residents to act responsibly and reject commentary that undermines our shared future,” Sibisi said.