A Senior Military Officer Of South African National Defence Force, Dismissed Over Social Media Comment

A South African military officer has been dismissed from the army following a racial comment he made on social media

The South African military officer, Major MV Mohlala, has been sent out from  the service over racial comments he made on Facebook. 

Mohlala had left a vile comment in a post shared by the son of an 80-year-old white man, Pastor Braam van Wyk, who was attacked at his home in Randburg on March 10th.

In response to the post, Mohlala commented that worse things should have been done to the man.

''Should actually have poked out his eyes and tongue so that the last people he would ever see, were the killers and he could go to his grave with the nightmare.” Apartheid is in him. All of these old white people think we are stupid when they say they were opposed to apartheid. We will not forget what they have done. Now it is the white people’s turn.” Mohlala wrote

Following his trial and deliberation by the military authority on the matter, he has been finally dismissed from service. 

See the letter of dismissal below:

It could be recalled that in March, 2018, a group called FF Plus reported the South African National Defence Force, to the Equality Court for hate speech.

On the 29th of March, 2018, one  Dr Pieter Groenewald wrote via his Facebook page:

The FF Plus has decided to report Major M.V. Mohlala of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to the Equality Court for hate speech after the SANDF only gave him a light rap on the knuckles for statements he made on social media.

Mohlala who is stationed at the Wonderboom Military Base in Pretoria said, amongst other things, the following after the murder on Professor Cobus Naudé (76): “It is your turn now, white people… [he] should have had his eyes and tongue cut out so that the faces of his attackers would be the last thing he sees …”

The FF Plus considers such statements hate speech. This is very serious, particularly because of the fact that Mohlala is a member of the SANDF and soldiers cannot make political statements seeing as their integrity must be above reproach so that they can protect and defend all people in South Africa without bias.

In light of the Vicki Momberg case, the FF Plus will make very sure that Major Mohlala is held to the same standard. Racism, irrespective of the nature thereof or your race, is unacceptable and must be condemned as such.

If an example was made of Momberg, then an example must also be made of Mohlala so as to make the message to the community, and particularly to the members of the SANDF, loud and clear: they must always remain apolitical and unbiased.

It is not only Mohlala’s statements that leave a blemish on the name of the SANDF, but also how the matter was handled as they merely reprimanded him. It creates the impression that it is acceptable for members of the SANDF, in this case a senior officer, to make such hate-filled statements.



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