Durban man pleads guilty to racist Diwali rant
|Published
Johannes "Dawie" Kriel pleaded guilty to a charge of crimen injuria in court.. Picture: Motshwari Mofokeng Johannes "Dawie" Kriel pleaded guilty to a charge of crimen injuria in court.. Picture: Motshwari Mofokeng
Durban – Johannes David "Dawie" Kriel, the man who posted a racist rant on Facebook over Diwali celebrations, pleaded guilty to a charge of crimen injuria in the Durban Magistrate's Court on Friday.
However, Magistrate Themba Sishi did not convict Kriel immediately, and instead, postponed the case to March 3 for judgement.
In a statement read to the court by his attorney, Logan Padayachee, Kriel said: "I admit by using those words I intended to insult the Indian community."
He explained that the celebrations on October 30 had gone on longer than he was expecting and the loud explosions of the fireworks were traumatising for his pets.
He had become irate and then posted the comments denigrating Indians as "devil worshippers" and saying that they should go back to India.
Prosecutor Nkululeko Msiya said the State accepted the guilty plea.
Outside the court building, about 100 members of the African National Congress danced and waved placards denouncing Kriel and racism.
There was also a smaller group of Democratic Alliance members also protesting against racism.
Every year, Diwali fireworks celebrations in Durban become a major bone of contention between animal lovers and those who celebrate Diwali with fireworks.
Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights, which for believers, spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair.