The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) on Wednesday said it had received a number of complaints relating to comments Black First Land First (BLF) leader Andile Mngxitama made at a rally on December 8 in Potchefstroom.

The commission said it also viewed a video taken at the rally in which Mngxitama told the audience that they would kill white people. He stated that "we will kill their women, we will kill their children, we will kill their dogs, we will kill their cats, we kill anything that comes for us".

Earlier this week, the Democratic Alliance (DA) reported Mngxitama to the SAHRC and said it was taking him to the Equality Court for his comments against white South Africans.

In a statement, DA national spokesperson Solly Malatsi said the party's North West leader, Joe McGluwa, would also lay charges against Mngxitima for incitement of violence.

Senior police sources told News24 that the Serious Organised Crime Unit was looking at whether or not it could investigate and charge Mngxitama.

The SAHRC also received multiple complaints through its social media and traditional platforms.

"The commission is in the process of registering the complaints against Mr Mngxitama in accordance with its complaints handling procedures for purposes of conducting an investigation into whether or not human rights have been violated and what steps should be taken to secure appropriate redress," the SAHRC said in a statement.

"The SAHRC calls on all within South Africa to assist in fostering a constitutional democracy, based on equality, dignity and freedom by refraining from utterances and actions which threaten social cohesion."

Meanwhile, trade union Solidarity said it would approach the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) to file a complaint against Mngxitama to stop his party from participating in next year's elections.

Mngxitama has threatened an "arm struggle" should the IEC deregister his party over his alleged hate speech.

He said that comments he made over the weekend in Ikageng in the North West, encouraging his supporters to kill white people, were merely a defence against recent statements made by billionaire Johann Rupert, which he interpreted as an "incitement to violence" against black people.

Mngxitama said he would be laying charges of inciting violence against Rupert.