MK party MP Visvin Reddy fined R30 000 for incitement after threatening 'civil war

The 55-year-old pleaded guilty in the Durban Regional Court for remarks made on March 5, 2024, at a political gathering in Shallcross, Durban. During the event, part of the MK party’s campaigning for the 2024 national and provincial elections, Reddy stated there would be “civil war and anarchy” if the MK party did not appear on the ballot paper, adding that “there would be no elections and no one in the country would vote.” These remarks went viral on social media and were widely reported.

The National Prosecuting Authority’s NPA spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara noted that Reddy acknowledged his actions were unlawful and intentional, accepting that his words could reasonably lead to violent conduct and that, as a public representative, he bears a heightened responsibility. The court considered Reddy’s subsequent apology videos, where he promoted non-violence. The Durban Regional Court also noted that the Electoral Court had previously sanctioned Reddy for the same incident, fining him R150 000, which was suspended for five years.

In the criminal case, half of his R30 000 fine or 10-month imprisonment sentence was suspended for five years on condition that he is not convicted of incitement to commit public violence again. The NPA hopes this sentence deters others, reminding public figures of the consequence