Who and what is AfriForum?

AfriForum is an Afrikaans civil rights organisation that protects the rights of minority groups at national as well as provincial level, and anyone who can identify with AfriForum’s principles and objectives may join the organisation. AfriForum’s community plan focuses on mobilising communities to thus take control of their own streets and neighbourhoods again. AfriForum ensures that your constitutional and civil rights are recognised and protected at national level.

Wie en wat is AfriForum?

AfriForum is ’n Afrikaanse burgerregteorganisasie wat die regte van minderheidsgroepe op sowel nasionale as provinsiale vlak beskerm, en enigiemand wat met AfriForum se beginsels en doelstellings kan identifiseer, mag by die organisasie aansluit. AfriForum se gemeenskapsplan fokus daarop om gemeenskappe te mobiliseer om só weer beheer terug te neem oor hul eie strate en woonbuurtes. AfriForum verseker dat jou grondwetlike én burgerregte op nasionale vlak erken en beskerm word.

Social media user’s alleged false racism claims earns her more than clicks and likes

A TikTokker is facing a criminal investigation for her alleged false and damaging allegations of racism levelled at three youngsters in a series of TikTok posts. Reece Lopes (20), Milan Kruijer (20) and Jude Fraser-Grant (21) are being represented by AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit. The case relates to a series of social media posts by Njabulo Madlanga. One of the posts has been viewed more than two-million times.

The unit has previously stated publicly that false claims of racism should be dealt with as seriously as bona fide allegations of such discrimination. Several TikTok videos by Madlanga allegedly prompted a barrage of online abuse including deaths threats directed at the complainants. She is being investigated on charges of crimen injuria and criminal defamation.

On Monday, the Booysens Magistrates Court granted an interim protection order against Madlanga, presumably a University of Cape Town law student, prohibiting her from further harassing or enlisting the help of others to harass the complainants. This interim order is yet to be served on her.

On Tuesday, the unit accompanied Lopes and Kruijer to the Booysens Police Station to file additional, comprehensive statements to be added to the case docket, opened in August. The SAPS had closed the case, recording it as “undetected”. The families of the affected youths approached the unit for help to ensure the matter is properly investigated and a full case docket presented to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

According to the statements filed with the SAPS, The ordeal started on 6 July, when the trio were enjoying a day out at the Gold Reef City theme park. While waiting in a queue to get onto one of the rides, another group of people pushed in. It was at this point that Madlanga, who was waiting in the same queue, alleged that the trio had made sounds imitating monkeys. She took to TikTok where she told her followers in a video, “So, let me tell you something, we in this line yeah, we in a line, in this place, Gold Reef, people will make sound effects here if you are black, I’m just saying, monkey sound effects, so just know that.”

In another TikTok post and acting on requests from her followers to identify the alleged racists, Madlanga posted a video of the three standing in the queue. Lopes, Kruijer and Fraser-Grant were soon identified by Madlanga’s followers and became the targets of a vicious online campaign. That video has been viewed more than two-million times.

On 9 July, Kruijer sent a message to Madlanga in which he denied the allegation that he or his friends made any noises, and further denied they were racist. He warned her that if she refuses to take down the posts, he will file a criminal complaint. Instead of taking down the posts, Madlanga posted a screenshot of Kruijer, alleging she was being intimidated. The post prompted further attacks against the three friends.

The persistent social media attacks and threats through direct messages has had a profound impact on the well-being of the victims.

Wico Swanepoel, attorney at the Private Prosecution Unit, says the unit was established to ensure there is equality before the law to ensure that justice is upheld in all cases. “False allegations of racism should be treated as seriously as true allegations of racism. False allegations also have serious implications in the public domain for these victims and that is why we will ensure that justice prevails in this matter,” he said.

The unit has committed itself to supporting the police to ensure all the relevant evidence is compiled in the docket and is hopeful the NPA will make the right decision to prosecute Madlanga.