Former Ukhozi FM DJ Ngizwe Mchunu has been acquitted of charges related to incitement to commit violence and breaching the Disaster Management Act. These charges stemmed from a press briefing he hosted during the July 2021 unrest, during which he made comments calling for the release of former president Jacob Zuma, who was incarcerated shortly before the outbreak of violence and looting.
The court found that the State did not prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. While some of Mchunu’s comments at the press briefing may have been deemed “wrong,” the court determined that they did not constitute a crime. Furthermore, Mchunu’s assertion that he aimed to quell the violence through the briefing was found to be reasonably and possibly true, leading to his acquittal on charges of incitement to commit violence.
Additionally, the court noted that a permit produced by Mchunu during the trial went unchallenged, resulting in his acquittal on charges of breaching the Disaster Management Act.