JOHANNESBURG (AP) β A South African ventriloquist says he will challenge a gag order against his puppet.
Comedian Conrad Koch said Monday he strongly denies allegations made by musician Steve Hofmeyr that tweets criticizing the singer amounted to hate speech. Hofmeyr said he had obtained a court order barring the satirist and his puppet, Chester Missing, from making any statements about him in public or on social media.
Hofmeyr was reacting to a series of tweets from the puppet criticizing the singer for what he described as racism. Hofmeyr tweeted to about 121,000 followers that the ruling African National Congress is victimizing white South Africans. Koch and his popular puppet are known for controversial political commentary.
The incident has made national news headlines in South Africa, where race remains a sensitive subject.
