Ngizwe Mchunu Responds After Court Orders Him to Apologise to LGBTQIA+ Community and Pay Fine

• Ngizwe Mchunu defied a court order to apologise to the LGBTQIA+ community over hate speech ruling
• He claimed his actions represent the Zulu royal house in his capacity as President of Amabhinca, not his personal opinion
• Court ruling follows complaints from SAHRC and LGBTQIA+ advocacy groups regarding Mchunu's statements

Popular activist and broadcaster Ngizwe Mchunu has responded after the Johannesburg High Court, sitting as an Equality Court, ordered him to apologise to the LGBTQIA+ community. The court ruled that his conduct and public statements amounted to hate speech, harassment, and unfair discrimination against members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

The ruling followed legal action brought by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), TransHope, and the Hate Crimes Working Group, represented by Lawyers for Human Rights. The case was launched after Mchunu repeatedly refused to apologise for his earlier remarks.

Although the court ordered him to apologise and pay a substantial fine, Mchunu says he has no intention of complying. Instead, he argued that anyone seeking an apology should direct their request to the Zulu royal house.

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Ngizwe Mchunu responds after court orders him to apologise

Speaking in an interview on Wednesday, 24 June 2026, Mchunu said he was acting in his capacity as president of Amabhinca, a role he claims was entrusted to him by King Misuzulu kaZwelithini. He argued that his actions should not be viewed as his personal position but as one linked to the Zulu royal house.

"This matter is not against me only. It's against the Zulu king himself and the Zulu nation as a whole. I was appointed by the king to be president of Amabhinca. I respect the king. If they want an apology from me, it means I'm the owner of Zulu traditional attire and that is not the truth. King Misuzulu is the only owner. If the Human Rights Commission wants an apology, they will get it in the Zulu royal house," he said.

When approached by Daily Sun, King Misuzulu's spokesperson, Prince Thulani Zulu, declined to comment on Mchunu's remarks for now. He said that they would have to consult with the Bhinca Nation Podcast host first before commenting on the matter.

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Ngizwe Mchunu refuses to apologise to Malema

This isn't the first time Ngizwe Mchunu has refused to comply with a court order.

In May 2026, Mchunu was adamant that he would not apologise to Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema, despite the Gauteng High Court ordering him to.

The court ruled in favour of Malema after he filed a defamation case against Mchunu, following several incendiary remarks during a televised interview on 28 April 2026, which were later widely circulated on social media.

Why Ngizwe Mchunu targeted the LGBTQIA+ community

Briefly News previously reported that Ngizwe Mchunu got into hot water with the LGBTQIA+ while reacting to a photo of a gay couple getting married in traditional attire, and one of them wore imvunulo.

Mchunu was against this and asked the LGBTQIA+ community to apologise and ordered them to either leave or create their own culture.

Source: Briefly News