Court gags Ngizwe Mchunu over anti-gay tirade

A South African court has stopped radio figure Ngizwe Mchunu from continuing his public campaign against LGBTQ individuals. The Johannesburg High Court issued an emergency order on Friday that prevents Mchunu from organizing any protests targeting gay people at the KwaMai Mai area. Judge Stuart Wilson agreed with petitioners TransHope and the Hate Crime Working Group that Mchunu's statements promoted harm. The directive requires him to delete discriminatory material from his social media accounts within 12 hours after receiving notice.

Mchunu sparked controversy when he posted a video attacking two gay men who wore traditional Zulu clothing at their wedding ceremony. The radio host declared that gay people should never dress in Zulu attire and criticized same-sex marriage rights in South Africa. His comments violated constitutional protections and hate speech regulations. The South African Human Rights Commission previously ruled his remarks constituted hate speech and ordered an apology, which Mchunu refused to provide.

Advocacy organizations praised the court decision as protecting human rights and preventing further incitement. South Africa became the first African nation to legalize same-sex marriage in 2006, though hate crimes against LGBTQ people remain a serious concern.