Cape Town, South Africa — The Equality Court has found Thomas Leyland Torr guilty of hate speech, marking a significant legal victory in the fight against antisemitism in South Africa. This case is the first of four initiated over the past year by the Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies (Cape SAJBD).

In his judgment delivered on Friday, 9 May 2025, Judge André Le Grange ruled that videos published by Torr on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube during 2023 and 2024 were harmful, incited harm, and propagated hatred. These actions were found to constitute hate speech under Section 10 of the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act (PEPUDA), 2000.

Torr has been ordered to issue an unconditional written apology to the South African Jewish community and donate R50,000 (Fifty Thousand Rand) to the Cape Town Holocaust and Genocide Centre, both within 30 days.

Judge Le Grange stated “Unquestionably, any reasonable, objectively informed person seeing the videos will understand the sting in the statements. It is blatant antisemitism speech intended to incite harm, to promote and propagate hatred against Jewish people. Moreover, Torr has shown no remorse but only disdain for the legal process.”

This ruling stands as a landmark victory not only for the Cape SAJBD and the Jewish community but for the constitutional and democratic rights of all South Africans.

The Cape SAJBD remains steadfast in its commitment to protect the civil rights of the Jewish community and to confront antisemitism, racism and prejudice in all its forms. The Equality Court will now turn its attention to the remaining three cases, which are set to be heard in the coming months.

 

Statement issued by:

Daniel Bloch

Executive Director, Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies

Media Enquiries:

Email: sajbd2@ctjc.co.za