DA councillor hauled to Equality Court over 'hate speech'

DA councillor John Hayes has been taken to the Equality Court by the South African Human Rights Commission over a social media post comparing a political protest to monkeys and baboons. The post targeted Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) members during a demonstration in Cederberg and sparked widespread condemnation. An internal disciplinary process found Hayes guilty of conduct with racist connotations, recommending a 12-month suspension, but the MEC reduced the sanction to one month.