Patriotic white South Africans must take a stand and say: 'Not in my name', Communications Minister Nomvula Mokonyane said on Thursday after an effigy of Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi was hung from a tree in Pretoria.

The effigy was paraded through Tshwane earlier this week and the figure was eventually being hung by its neck outside the offices of Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga.



Speaking after delivering the post-Cabinet statement, Mokonyane condemned the incident.

READ: Effigy of Lesufi 'insult to anyone who believes in non-racial education for all'



She found it particularly disturbing that it happened in April - the month in which South Africans celebrate their freedom, and in which struggle icon Solomon Mahlangu was hanged and South African Communist Party leader Chris Hani was killed.



She added that it was a minority who "behave this way".



"We don't believe this is the attitude of many white South Africans," she said.



Mokonyane pointed out that there were laws in place to deal with hate speech and discrimination.



"Action must be taken," she said. "They must be isolated by all of us."



"I call on all patriotic white South Africans to stand up and say: 'Not in my name'."



READ: Hung effigy of MEC Lesufi a 'cowardice act by racists' - ANC

She also encouraged people to guard against circulating the pictures because it would be tantamount to "perpetuating what many South Africans refuse to be part of".

Mokonyane added that the threats the MEC and his family had received were for the authorities to deal with.

Lesufi told News24 on Wednesday that he and his children had been receiving threats for quite some time.