- DA Lodges Complaint Over Offensive Podcast Content: The Democratic Alliance has filed a formal complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission regarding a viral podcast episode that made racially charged and offensive comments about the coloured community.
- condemning the Offensive Remarks: DA Federal Chairperson Dr Ivan Meyer condemned the podcast episode as an attack on community dignity, emphasizing that it promotes division and undermines core constitutional values such as equality and human dignity.
- Apology and Calls for Accountability: Although the podcast creators issued an apology, the DA considers it an implicit admission of wrongdoing and insists that accountability for harmful content is necessary beyond mere words.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has lodged a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) following the release of a widely circulated episode of the Open Chats Podcast, which included offensive and racially charged commentary about the coloured community.
In a statement issued by DA Federal Chairperson Dr Ivan Meyer, the party expressed outrage at the content of the podcast, which went viral on TikTok. The hosts of the show allegedly made degrading remarks, including questioning whether coloured people engage in incest and describing the community as “crazy.”
Dr Meyer strongly condemned the episode, saying that it was neither comedic nor harmless. “This is not humour. It is not harmless ‘pop culture commentary’. It is an assault on the dignity of a community,” he said. “Such content fans the flames of division and undermines the constitutional values of equality, human dignity, and social cohesion.”
While the podcast creators have since issued an apology, the DA maintains that the damage caused cannot be undone by words alone. The party regards the apology as an implicit admission of wrongdoing and insists that accountability must follow.
The DA reaffirmed its commitment to freedom of speech but emphasised that such rights do not extend to hate speech or the public degradation of any group in society. “We will always defend free expression, but that right ends where it infringes on the rights and dignity of others,” said Meyer.
The party further called on all South Africans to reject and condemn this form of harmful racial stereotyping. “South Africa is a constitutional democracy that values dignity, respect, non-racialism, and freedom. The DA will stand up and defend the rights of all groups in society,” Meyer concluded.
The SAHRC is expected to review the complaint and determine whether the podcast episode in question constitutes a violation of the constitutional rights to equality and dignity. The DA hopes the matter will set a precedent against monetising or normalising racial denigration for online attention.
