ANC MP sparks outrage with FB post urging people to burn #ZumaMustFall banner, flats [Update]

ANC MP Bongani Mkongi sparked outrage on Saturday after he posted a Facebook post suggesting that a divisive #ZumaMustFall billboard be burned down along with the people living in the flats behind it.

The billboard, which was erected in the centre of Cape Town on Friday, attracted criticism from a number of quarters. While some feel that the campaign is racist, others felt that the money spent on the billboard (its location is believed to be one of the most expensive in the city) could have achieved more had it been spent on social good.

Among the critics was Mkongi, whose Facebook post urged people to “Join the ANC in Cape Town today at 14h00 to burn down the billboard saying: “ZumaMustFall”.
The billboard must not be lifted down, but, burnt down!”

When someone suggested that burning the billboard down might endanger the people living in the block of flats behind the billboard, he posted: “They must burn to death as it is life to them to keep it that way!”

The billboard, which had been declared illegal by the City of Cape Town on Friday, was removed after a large group of people rushed the building wielding scissors and knives.

In the wake of Mkongi’s post, DA parliamentary spokesperson Phumzile Van Damme questioned why the ANC had failed deliver any public statements condemning the incendiary post.

Not a single ANC public rep has condemned #BonganiMkongi.Fair to say his views are seen as agreeable & party policy? pic.twitter.com/7aiNDzdxwJ

— Phumzile Van Damme (@zilevandamme) January 16, 2016

Other Twitter users had similar questions:

#ANC was prepared to assault people over #ZumaMustFallBillboard and #BonganiMkongi was prepared to burn people and building. #FreeSpeech

— Motlokwa Tsotetsi (@Sthathi) January 16, 2016

Others found Mkongi’s cellphone number, and fought fire with satire:

Oh lookie! https://t.co/skLC9FBqmq has the details (incl. cell no) of all MP's. Lemme give #BonganiMkongi a call… pic.twitter.com/AeBYXT2lec

— Prof. Bokdrol (@ProfBokdrol) January 16, 2016

Inviting #BonganiMkongi for a braai tonight. Bongani please let me know if you like your flat dweller medium rare or well done? Thanks.

— Prof. Bokdrol (@ProfBokdrol) January 16, 2016

Mkongi, who in 2015 claimed that the #FeesMustFall protests were funded by outside forces, compared the fact that no one took responsibility for the billboard to the deaths of Steve Biko and Chris Hani.

Mkongi also revealed that the ANC’s chief whip Stone Sizani had contacted him urging him to “say I withdraw all statements referring to violence and death but not withdraw to provocation and racism”.

In another post, now apparently deleted, Mkongi says he’d rather be kicked out of parliament than retract the the statements:

Update: Mkongi has apologised for his statement. “It was an error of judgement on my part that I, in my subsequent post in response to one of the many comments to the post, stated that it did not matter if the banner burned with the building. I accept that the statement is unacceptable as it exceeds the bounds of freedom of expression as enshrined in our Constitution,” he said on Facebook.

“I will never call for or incite violence, and indeed the removal of the banner today was peaceful. Therefore, while I stand by my post that the banner must fall, and I am pleased that it fell, I apologise for the second part of my message that suggested the banner must burn with the building,” he added.

The ANC is yet to make any public statements around the posts. The Democratic Alliance meanwhile has referred the matter to parliament’s ethics committee.

Image: Adele Roos via Twitter.