Visvin Gopal Reddy, pictured with former president Jacob Zuma, has been charged with contravening the Riotous Assemblies Act. He appeared at the Chatsworth Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday April 3. Picture: STOCK IMAGES
uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK) senior member, Visvin Gopal Reddy, appeared in the Chatsworth Magistratess Court on Wednesday April 3, on a charge of contravening Section 17 of the Riotous Assemblies Act, where he is alleged to have incited public violence.
His appearance follows a video clip which was circulated on social media, in which Mr Reddy, 53, addressed a public gathering, and made the alleged inciting comments, said Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
When Mr Reddy made the comments, MK was facing a court challenge from the ANC to have it deregistered as a political party.
“Reddy appeared in court on summons, and the matter was transferred to the Durban Regional Court for the next appearance on June 14, 2024,” said Ms Ramkisson-Kara.
Mr Reddy, a former African Democratic Change (ADeC) leader, threatened civil war last month, should his party (MK) not make it onto the ballot paper while also demanding that the ANC drop its court cases against his party both in the electoral court and for alleged trademark infringement in the Durban High Court. Former president Jacob Zuma is the face of the MK party.
Mr Reddy told supporters at a rally in KZN last month, that there would be anarchy in the country if they stop MK. He further threatened that there would be riots like never before and there will be no election. “No South African will go the polls if MK is not on the ballot paper,” said Mr Reddy.
A video clip of Mr Reddy’s threats was circulated and this led to the charges against him. However, Mr Reddy said the charge arose from a misunderstanding and was based on a part of a speech he delivered at a rally that was taken out of context. He said he will be defending this charge in court through his legal team. He added that the “truth will be revealed in court.”
Mr Reddy’s spokesperson, Sabeena Chetty, said Mr Reddy never meant to incite public violence.
“All that Mr Reddy was trying to say is that the public itself are well behind MK and uBaba Zuma right now and having to deliberately take MK off the ballot sheet was going to create some sort of chaos,” Ms Chetty said.
Mr Reddy started his political career with the Minority Front, led by the late Mr Amichand Rajbansi in 1993. He then moved to the Democratic Alliance in 2004, shortly after he joined the ANC and spent around 10 years with the ruling party, thereafter he started his own party, ADeC, in 2020.